Brijesh Mainali
Associate professorProfile Summary
Dr. Brijesh Mainali serves as Associate Professor (Docent) in Energy Sustainability at the Department of Built Environment and Energy Technology, Linnaeus University. He has been actively engaged in the field of Energy and Sustainable Development since 1996, with a professional journey spanning academia, international development cooperation, and private-sector consultancy. He brings over 15 years of academic experience from Linnaeus University and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden; five years managing energy development programs supported by DANIDA, NORAD, and the Government of Nepal; and seven years working as a consultant for NGOs and private-sector entities.
Currently, he is the Programme Manager of the interdisciplinary MSc programme Energy and Management for Sustainable Development and responsible for several core courses as Course Responsible and Examiner, including Life Cycle Assessment, Energy Policy Design and Evaluation, Energy Management in the Built Environment, Energy and Climate Studies, and Laws for Sustainable Development. He also acts as Examiner for MSc degree projects. Mainali’s teaching philosophy emphasizes systems thinking and the integration of engineering, policy, and sustainability assessment. His approach is designed to equip students with interdisciplinary skills and critical insight, enabling them to make informed decisions that consider social, cultural, and policy dimensions—ultimately contributing meaningfully to sustainable development.
Research Excellence and Leadership
Dr. Mainali’s research takes an interdisciplinary and systems-oriented approach, addressing renewable energy technologies, energy markets, policy design, behavioral dimensions, and broader sustainability issues—with a particular focus on energy efficiency and climate mitigation and adaptation in the built environment. Over the years, he has been involved in various projects securing more than 53.8 million SEK in research funding, including 34.2 million SEK as principal applicant/project manager and 19.6 million SEK as co-applicant. These projects have been supported by a range of national and international funding bodies, such as FORMAS, the Swedish Research Council (VR), the KK Foundation, and the European Union.
Supervision, Evaluation, and Scientific Contributions
Dr. Mainali has served as the main supervisor for two PhD students and co-supervisor for four others, as well as an external advisor for two doctoral candidates from other institutions. He has supervised over 20 MSc theses. His expertise has been recognized through roles as a review panel member for the Research Council of Norway (RCN), external expert for the AIAS-AUFF Fellowship Programme at Aarhus University and serving as evaluator for Horizon Europe energy calls. He has participated in PhD defense committees at institutions including KTH, University of Gävle, Macquarie University, University of Queensland, Australia and TERI-SAS, India. He is also an active contributor to scientific committees for international conferences, regular chair sessions, and speaks on expert panels, particularly on topics related to just energy transitions.
Publications and Research Impact
Dr. Mainali has authored 85 scientific publications, including 27 peer-reviewed journal articles, 20 peer-reviewed conference papers, 7 book chapters, and 6 guidelines/manuals. His research has received strong scholarly attention, with over 1,084citations (H-index 17) on Scopus and 1929 citations (H-index 24) on Google Scholar.
(Updated on 29th April 2025)
Teaching
Course Coordinator/Examiner:
- Energy and Climate Change-4BT301
- Evaluation and Design of Energy Policies-4BT315-7.5 HP
- Life Cycle Assessment Course-4BT312-7.5 HP
- Energy Management for Built Environment-4BT316-7.5 HP
- Laws of Sustainable Development and Energy-¤BT308-7.5 HP
- MSc Thesis Course-30 HP
My research groups
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Bioresource Technology Bioresource Technology is the umbrella term for the university's research in the fields of bioenergy, biotechnology, combustion engineering, chemical engineering and process…
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Linnaeus University Centre for Competitive Timber Structures Linnaeus University Centre for Competitive Timber Structures (Lnuc TiSt) conducts nationally leading research dedicated to pioneering…
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Sustainable Built Environment Research Within sustainable built environment, we conduct cutting-edge research linked to sustainable development, especially system analysis studies of bioenergy,…
My ongoing research projects
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Doctoral school in Sustainable energy engineering (SEED) The main objective of this Sustainable Energy Engineering Doctoral program (SEED) is to develop capacities of PhD researchers for complex…
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Project: Bio-based circular recovery model for sustainable urban economies The project focuses on creating a bio-circular economy (BCE) model towards the sustainable urban development for the city of…
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Project: Circular Trust Building – CTB The long-term goal of the Circular Trust Building (CTB) project is to facilitate the transition from the now dominant linear value chain to a circular economy in…
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Project: Climate Smart Renovation (CSR) model for energy efficiency and climate resiliency The project aims to accelerate the renovation of detached houses in Sweden by enhancing energy efficiency and…
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Project: Future Baltic Bauhaus (FBB) The project aims to show how the construction sector can in various ways reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and reduce its use of resources by making the industry…
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Project: Harnessing Synergies and minimizing Trade-off among Deep Renovation measures and decarbonizing District Heating system (STaDRenDHeat) This research will analyze synergy, complementarity, or…
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Project: How prepared are Swedish detached houses to adapt to Climate Change? This project will analyse how these can affect detached houses in different climate zones in Sweden – and how this, in…
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Project: Low-Carbon Economy Transformation through Sustainable Energy Modernization and Access in Lesotho (LETSEMA) This project aims to equip the National University of Lesotho and the Bethel…
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Project: Promoting Building Retrofits in the Private Residential Sector (ProRetro) The aim of this project is to overcome barriers to residential building refurbishment by offering new one-stop-shop…
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Project: Scaling up energy renovation through smart design and one-stop-shop business model There might be several different reasons why homeowners do not carry out energy renovations. The goal of…
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Project: Sustainable Housing for Strong Communities (Stronghouse) The Stronghouse project aims to adjust and redesign current support measures for energy renovations. The work will be based on a…
My completed research projects
Publications
Article in journal (Refereed)
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Kumar, K.C.A., Mainali, B., Ghimire, A., Adhikari, B., Lohani, S.P., et al. (2025). Role of vernacular architecture in enhancing the environmental sustainability of the building sector. Energy for Sustainable Development. 86.
Status: Published -
Sinha, S., Pardalis, G., Mainali, B., Mahapatra, K. (2025). Exploring Homeowners' Attitudes and Climate-Smart Renovation Decisions : A Case Study in Kronoberg, Sweden. Sustainability. 17 (7).
Status: Published -
Sula, M., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2025). Unveiling the perspectives of Swedish homeowners on embracing space sufficiency within the context of energy renovation. Energy and Buildings. 328.
Status: Published -
Jha, N.K., Mainali, B., Lohani, S.P. (2024). Strategy for Circularity Enhancement in Bioeconomy Sector : A Case Study from Biogas Sector of Nepal. Circular Economy and Sustainability. 4. 2531-2557.
Status: Published -
Jha, A.K.R., Andrae, A.S.G., Mainali, B. (2023). Comparison of Methods for Calculating Indirect Upstream Carbon Emissions from Information and Communication Technology Manufacturing. WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development. 19. 1045-1057.
Status: Published -
Devendran, A.A., Mainali, B., Khatiwada, D., Golzar, F., Mahapatra, K., et al. (2023). Optimization of Municipal Waste Streams in Achieving Urban Circularity in the City of Curitiba, Brazil. Sustainability. 15 (4).
Status: Published -
Thapa, P., Mainali, B., Dhakal, S. (2023). Focus on Climate Action : What Level of Synergy and Trade-Off Is There between SDG 13; Climate Action and Other SDGs in Nepal?. Energies. 16 (1).
Status: Published -
Pardalis, G., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2022). Comparing public- and private-driven one-stop-shops for energy renovations of residential buildings in Europe. Journal of Cleaner Production. 365.
Status: Published -
Villarroel-Schneider, J., Höglund-Isaksson, L., Mainali, B., Martí-Herrero, J., Cardozo, E., et al. (2022). Energy self-sufficiency and greenhouse gas emission reductions in Latin American dairy farms through massive implementation of biogas-based solutions. Energy Conversion and Management. 261.
Status: Published -
Khatiwada, D., Golzar, F., Mainali, B., Devendran, A.A. (2021). Circularity in the Management of Municipal Solid Waste : A Systematic Review. Vides un Klimata Tehnologijas / Scientific Proceedings of Riga Technical University : Environmental and Climate Technologies. 25 (1). 491-507.
Status: Published -
Rout, A., Mainali, B., Singh, S., Solanki, C.S., Solanki, C.S. (2021). An index-based generic framework for tracking the quality of supplied electricity. Energy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning and Policy. 16 (5). 478-490.
Status: Published -
Mahapatra, K., Dadvar, A., Mainali, B. (2021). Recycling Behavior in a Multicultural Urban Area in Sweden. International Journal of Environmental and Ecological Engineering. 15 (8). 221-225.
Status: Published -
Mainali, B., Mahapatra, K., Pardalis, G. (2021). Strategies for deep renovation market of detached houses. Renewable & sustainable energy reviews. 138. 1-10.
Status: Published -
Lohani, S.P., Shakya, S., Gurung, P., Dhungana, B., Paudel, D., et al. (2021). Anaerobic co-digestion of food waste, poultry litter and sewage sludge : seasonal performance under ambient condition and model evaluation. Energy Sources, Part A : Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects. 47 (2).
Status: Published -
Rout, A., Mainali, B., Singh, S., Solanki, C.S., Bhati, G.S. (2021). Assessing the financial sustainability of rural grid electrification pathway : a case study of India. Sustainable Production and Consumption. 25 (January). 27-42.
Status: Published -
Pardalis, G., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2020). Swedish construction MSEs : simply renovators or renovation service innovators?. Building Research & Information. 48 (1). 67-83.
Status: Published -
Villarroel-Schneider, J., Mainali, B., Martí-Herrero, J., Malmquist, A., Martin, A., et al. (2020). Biogas based polygeneration plant options utilizing dairy farms waste : A Bolivian case. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments. 37. 1-15.
Status: Published -
Pardalis, G., Mahapatra, K., Bravo, G., Mainali, B. (2019). Swedish House Owners’ Intentions Towards Renovations : Is there a Market for One-Stop-Shop?. Buildings. 9 (7). 1-16.
Status: Published -
Bravo, G., Pardalis, G., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2019). Physical vs. Aesthetic Renovations : Learning from Swedish House Owners. Buildings. 9 (1).
Status: Published -
Mainali, B., Luukkanen, J., Silveira, S., Kaivo-Oja, J. (2018). Evaluating Synergies and Trade-Offs among Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) : Explorative Analyses of Development Paths in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Sustainability. 10 (3).
Status: Published -
Mainali, B., Ahmed, H., Silveira, S. (2018). Integrated approach for provision of clean energy and water in rural Bangladesh. Ground Water for Sustainable Development. 7. 239-249.
Status: Published -
Mainali, B., Emran, S.B., Silveira, S. (2017). Greenhouse gas mitigation using poultry litter management techniques in Bangladesh. Energy Journal. 127. 155-166.
Status: Published -
Mainali, B., Silveira, S. (2015). Using a sustainability index to assess energy technologies for rural electrification. Renewable & sustainable energy reviews. 41. 1351-1365.
Status: Published -
Mainali, B., Pachauri, S., Rao, N.D., Silveira, S. (2014). Assessing rural energy sustainability in developing countries. Energy for Sustainable Development. 19. 15-28.
Status: Published -
Tessema, Z., Mainali, B., Silveira, S. (2014). Mainstreaming and sector-wide approaches to sustainable energy access in Ethiopia. Energy Strategy Reviews. 2 (3-4). 313-322.
Status: Published -
Khan, E.U., Mainali, B., Martin, A., Silveira, S. (2014). Techno-economic analysis of small scale biogas based polygeneration systems : Bangladesh case study. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments. 7. 68-78.
Status: Published -
Mainali, B., Silveira, S. (2013). Alternative pathways for providing access to electricity in developing countries. Renewable energy. 57. 299-310.
Status: Published -
Mainali, B., Pachauri, S., Nagai, Y. (2012). Analyzing cooking fuel and stove choices in China till 2030. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 4 (3).
Status: Published -
Mainali, B., Silveira, S. (2012). Renewable Energy Market in Rural Electrification : Country Case Nepal. Energy for Sustainable Development. 16 (2). 168-178.
Status: Published -
Mainali, B., Silveira, S. (2011). Financing off-grid rural electrification : Country case Nepal. Energy. 36 (4). 2194-2201.
Status: Published
Conference paper (Refereed)
- Sula, M., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2024). Building practices through the lens of sufficiency and adaptability. eceee Summer Study proceedings. 893-904.
- Mazaheri, A., Aryal, A., Mainali, B., Mahapatra, K., Moazami, A. (2024). Forecasting Energy Needs for Thermal Comfort of Elderly. .
- Sinha, S., Mainali, B., Mahapatra, K., Mazaheri, A. (2023). Integrating Digital Tools in One-Stop-Shop Business Models for Climate-Smart Single-Family Home Renovation in the European Union. Proceedings of the International Conference “Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition”.
- Almeida, R., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2023). Analytical review of methodological approaches for measuring circularity in building renovation. Proceedings of the International Conference “Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition” : 12-13 October, Växjö.
- Sula, M., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B., Rupar-Gadd, K., Pardalis, G. (2023). Adopting Space Sufficiency Interventions as a Means for Accelerating Energy Renovation : Swedish Homeowners’ Perspective. Proceedings of the International Conference “Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition”.
- Aarthi, A.D., Mainali, B., Khatiwada, D., Golzar, F., Mahapatra, K. (2023). Implementation of GIS-AHP Framework for the Identification of Potential Landfill Sites in Bengaluru Metropolitan Region, India. The 9th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research. ICEER 2022..
- Mokhtara, C., Sinha, S., Mainali, B., Mahapatra, K. (2023). Urban Heat Island Risk Assessment and Mapping in the Swedish Residential Sector. Proceedings of the International Conference “Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition” / Climate change, resilience, and adaptation of urban built environment.
- Pardalis, G., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2022). A business model canvas framework for sustainable one-stop-shops. .
- Sula, M., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2022). Addressing housing shortage through energy and space-efficient retrofitting : The case study of a Swedish Single-Family house. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science.
- Sula, M., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2022). Additional Dwelling Units : Can they finance energy renovation?. eceee 2022 Summer Study on energy efficiency: agents of change, European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ECEEE), 2022. 1295-1306.
- Devendran, A.A., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2022). Spatial interaction model of energy demand of buildings and satellite thermal imageries using Geographically Weighted Regression analysis. eceee 2022 Summer Study on energy efficiency : agents of change. 559-569.
- Devendran, A.A., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2021). Analysis of influence of landuse/land cover changes on the land surface temperature of Växjö Municipality, Sweden. eceee 2021 Summer Study on energy efficiency : A New Reality?. 627-635.
- Sula, M., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2021). Barriers and drivers for scaling-up energy renovations. eceee 2021 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency : A New Reality?. 637-647.
- Devendran, A.A., Mainali, B., Khatiwada, D., Golzar, F., Mahapatra, K. (2021). Identification of potential landfill sites in Bengaluru metropolitan region, India through GIS-AHP framework. ICEER2021 - 8th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research:“Developing the World in 2021 with Clean and Safe Energy.
- Pardalis, G., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2021). Public versus private one-stop-shops for energy renovations of residential buildings in the EU. eceee 2021 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency : A New Reality?. 585-594.
- Réfabert, F., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B., Hourcade, J. (2021). How to boost one-stop-shops for integrated home energy renovation in the EU?. eceee Summer Study on Energy Efficiency : A New Reality?. 827-835.
- Pardalis, G., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B. (2020). A triple-layered one-stop-shop business model canvas for sustainable house renovations. WSBE 20 - World Sustainable Built Environment : Beyond 2020 2-4 November 2020, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Mainali, B., Pardalis, G., Mahapatra, K. (2019). Criteria based approach for assessment of policy instruments for deep renovation of residential building in the Netherlands. ECEEE Summer Study proceedings : eceee 2019 Summer Study on energy efficiency: Is efficient sufficient?. 599-606.
- Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B., Pardalis, G. (2019). Homeowners’ attitude towards one-stop-shop business concept for energy renovation of detached houses in Kronoberg, Sweden. Innovative Solutions for Energy Transitions : 10th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE2018), 22-25 August 2018, Hong Kong, China. 3702-3708.
- Pardalis, G., Mainali, B., Mahapatra, K. (2019). One-stop-shop as an innovation, and construction SMEs : a Swedish perspective. Innovative Solutions for Energy Transitions : Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE2018). 2737-2743.
- Pardalis, G., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B., Jalilzadehazhari, E. (2019). Renovation of detached houses in Sweden : Can one-stop-shop provide a solution?. Presented at: International Conference on Sustainability in Energy and Buildings SEB-19.
Chapter in book (Refereed)
- Pardalis, G., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B., Bravo, G. (2021). Future Energy-Related House Renovations in Sweden : One-Stop-Shop as a Shortcut to the Decision-Making Journey. Emerging Research in Sustainable Energy and Buildings for a Low-Carbon Future. Singapore, Springer. 37-52.
- Villarroel-Schneider, J., Mainali, B., Martí-Herrero, J., Malmquist, A., Martin, A., et al. (2020). Techno-Economic Study of a Biogas-Based Polygeneration Plant for Small Dairy Farms in Central Bolivia. Renewable Energy and Sustainable Buildings : Selected Papers from the World Renewable Energy Congress WREC 2018. Springer. 675-687.
- Dhakal, S., Srivastava, L., Sharma, B., Palit, D., Mainali, B., et al. (2019). Meeting Future Energy Needs in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment : Mountains, Climate Change, Sustainability and People. Springer. 167-207.
- Mainali, B., Dhital, R.P. (2015). Isolated and Mini-Grid Solar PV Systems: An Alternative Solution for Providing Electricity Access in Remote Areas (Case Study from Nepal).. Solar Energy Storage. United Kingdom, Academic Press. 359-374.
- Silveira, S., Mainali, B., Khatiwada, D. (2011). Green energy for development in Nepal. The Road to Rio +20 : For a development-led green economy. New York and Geneva, United Nations, UNCTAD. 79-83.
Article, review/survey (Refereed)
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Pradhan Shrestha, R., Mainali, B., Mokhtara, C., Prasad Lohani, S. (2025). Bearing the Burden : Understanding the Multifaceted Impact of Energy Poverty on Women. Sustainability. MDPI. 17 (5).
Status: Published
Conference paper (Other academic)
- Mainali, B., Mahapatra, K. (2020). One-Stop-Shop for Energy Renovation : Examples of Local Interventions in Residential Sector in Achieving SDG 7.3. IESD Second Annual Conference: Aligning Local Interventions with the UN SDGs, 2nd July.
- Pardalis, G., Mainali, B., Mahapatra, K. (2018). One-stop-shop as an innovation, and preparedness to adopt it : a study on house renovation stakeholders in Sweden. Advanced Building Skins : 1-2 October 2018, Bern, Switzerland. 567-569.
- Mainali, B., Mahapatra, K., Pardalis, G. (2018). Evaluating Existing Market for Deep Energy Renovation in Sweden and Denmark. Advanced Building Skins : C2 Models, Policies and Products for Building Retrofit. 576-580.
Report (Other academic)
- Pardalis, G., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B., Rupar-Gadd, K. (2022). Kundresa för One-Stop-Shop. Institutionen för byggd miljö och energiteknik, Linnéuniversitetet. 7.