University of La Reunion's ENERPOS: Saint-Pierre, La Reunion, France

Tropical NZEB

A classroom and office building on the French island of La Reunion, near Madagascar, demonstrates that sustainable design saves significant energy while providing a comfortable environment in an idyllic, yet challenging setting. Building orientation, shading, cross ventilation and ceiling fans nearly preclude the need for air conditioning for ENERPOS, resulting in an annual energy use index of 14.4 kWh/m² (4.6 kBtu/ft²). A building-integrated photovoltaic roof produces more energy than the building consumes. Sustainable site strategies include native vegetation to help prevent outside air from heating up before entering the building, and a car park located under the building to increase soil permeability and reduce flooding.