IN the 17th District of Paris, between elegant buildings and decrepit railway tracks is the transforming Clichy-Batignolles area; changing from an industrial wasteland into an ambitious eco-district.

Paris wanted to make Clichy-Batignolles a model for sustainable urban development, bringing to life through this ambitions project of energy efficiency, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, mixed functions, social diversity and biodiversity. The Clichy-Batignolles project, is seeking the EcoQuartier label awarded by the French Ministry of Sustainable Development, and was designed from the very beginning as an eco-district.

The city aims to make the eco-district’s buildings and public spaces carbon neutral. The eco-district’s carbon footprint is currently being updated in order to incorporate recent changes in the project (geothermal energy) as well as the actual performances of the buildings already in operation.

The plan involves requirements for the buildings including:

Energy consumption in the buildings limited to 50 kWh per sq. m. per year, i.e. below the requirements of current energy regulations in Paris (RT 2012: 70 kWh per sq. m. per year for housing). Heating, which consumes the most energy in a home, must not exceed 15 kWh per sq. m. per year, i.e. equivalent to that of Germany’s Passiv Haus certification.

Heating, which consumes the most energy in a home, must not exceed 15 kWh per sq. m. per year, i.e. equivalent to that of Germany’s Passiv Haus certification.

In order to meet these aims, the buildings have been designed to limit their primary energy needs:

• Small volumes to limit number of areas in contact with the outside
• Dual exposure and solar protection, with green roofs
• Exterior building insulation
• Innovative heat regulation and energy recovery solutions enable user consumption to be optimised. Air conditioning systems have been kept to a bare minimum in order to curb electricity consumption for specific uses such as server rooms or temporary solutions during heat waves (housing for the elderly).

With less than 75 kWh per sq. m. per year, i.e. around half of the consumption of the newest skyscrapers delivered at the Paris la Défense business district, the Paris courthouse has become the new standard- bearer for low energy consumption in high-rise buildings.

The Clichy-Batignolles development is run by a local public company with €6 million in capital, owned by the City and County of Paris,

Source and pictures: http://www.clichy-batignolles.fr