Claude-Alain Roulet

Biography and current work

Biography

Primary and secondary school in Montreux (Switzerland)
College in Lausanne (Switzerland), bachelor in 1959.
Ecole Polytechnique de l'Université de Lausanne (EPUL), graduated in physics engineering in 1964 (professor R. Mercier).
PhD in physics at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in February 1973 (Prof. J.-P. Borel). Topic was theoretical and experimental studies on thermal diffusion of silver ad-atoms on a copper single crystal surface.
Professional experience
Assistant of prof. R. Mercier from 1964 to 1965.
Assistant of prof. J.-P. Borel from 1965 to 1972, at the Laboratory for Experimental Physics at the EPFL.
R&D engineer at Alcyon SA in 1973. Development of a laser tool to bore holes in watch stones.
Engineer at the Laboratoire des Matériaux Pierreux (Building materials laboratory, EPFL) from 1974 to 1982. Research on freeze effects on building materials, and on measurement of thermal properties of building materials, in particular insulating materials.
Senior scientist at the Laboratoire d'Energie Solaire (LESO-EPFL, Solar Energy and Building Physics Research Laboratory) since April 1982. Research on on-site measurement techniques related to energy in buildings, thermal behaviour modelling of buildings and Indoor Environment Quality and Health. Development of tracer gas instrumentation for measuring ventilation characteristics (air flow rates, age of air, ventilation efficiency), and of several pressurisation techniques. His research group also developed and validated ventilation models of buildings, and brought major contributions to several International Energy Agency and European Union research projects.
Also gave lectures in physics, building physics, and IEQ at the EPFL continuously since 1966.
Varia:
Former Swiss delegate to the ISO Technical Committee 163 "Energy in buildings".
Officially retired since April 1st, 2006, but still giving a lecture on indoor environment quality.
Mayor of Apples, Switzerland, from 2002 to 2011