Nihar Shah is the holder of the Presidential Directorship of the Global Cooling Efficiency Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, leading research on alternate refrigerants and energy efficiency for Heating, Ventilation, Airconditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC&R) equipment. He is also co-leader of the Emerging Economies Research Program. His other research interests include advanced manufacturing, circular economy and water technology and policy.
Nihar's work has been featured in various media including the New York Times, Washington Post, Economist, Forbes Magazine, NPR, and numerous other publications. He regularly advises multilateral institutions, governments, industry, and regulators on energy technologies and policies.
Prior to joining LBNL, Nihar worked at the California Public Utilities Commission. He received a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.Tech. in Thermal and Fluids Engineering and a B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering, both from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. He is a licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer in California.
