The Construction of a Zero Energy Building in Reunion Island: Presentations of a New Approach to the Design Studies

This paper presents a zero energy project -ie ZEN applied to a university building in Reunion Island. The construction work will begin in September 2006 and will last one year. The aim is to create a building which uses half the energy of a standard building. The methodology was conceived to meet requirements defined during the thermal design and building systems planning stage. Innovations relating to architectural design, building systems performance and numerical simulation are presented. Solar panels integrated into the roofing provide sufficient electrical energy for the building to produce more energy than it uses.