  In early 1995, a DSM pilot initiative has been launched in the French islands
of Guadeloupe and Reunion through a partnership between several public and
private partners (the French Public Utility EDF, the University of Reunion
Island, low cost housing companies, architects, energy consultants, etc...) to
set up standards to improve thermal design of new residential buildings in
tropical climates. This partnership led to defining optimized bio-climatic
urban planning and architectural designs featuring the use of passive cooling
architectural principles (solar shading, natural ventilation) and components,
as well as energy efficient systems and technologies. The design and sizing of
each architectural component on internal thermal comfort in building has been
assessed with a validated thermal and airflow building simulation software
(CODYRUN). These technical specifications have been edited in a reference
document which has been used to build over 300 new pilot dwellings through the
years 1996-1998 in Reunion Island and in Guadeloupe. An experimental monitoring
has been made in these first ECODOM dwellings in 1998 and 1999. It will result
in experimental validation of impact of the passive cooling strategies on
thermal comfort of occupants leading to modify specifications if necessary. The
paper present all the methodology used for the elaboration of ECODOM, from the
simulations to the experimental results. This follow up is important, as the
setting up of the ECODOM standard will be the first step towards the setting up
of thermal regulations in the French overseas territories, by the year 2002.
