A super energy efficient building was recently inaugurated at Tsinghua University. As the first of its kind in the country, the demonstration building gathers some hundred state-of-the-art energy efficient technologies and products. The new building consumes only 30% of the power needed by a conventional building in Beijing, compared on a yearly basis, making a physical energy efficient technology demonstration platform for architectural structures.

The project heads for a range of targets, including physical environment control and associated facilities (sound, light, heat, and air quality), building materials and composition (window, sun sheltering, roof, joints, and steel structures), building environment control system (efficient energy system, advanced heating, ventilation and air-conditioning modes, and associated facilities), and intelligent building system. The demonstration building uses some hundred energy efficient technologies or products developed by research institutes or manufacturers both at home and abroad. Nearly 50 US, German, Japanese, Denmark and domestic manufacturers, including Tongfang and Qinhuangdao Yaohua, contributed their latest energy efficient products to the building. Of them, some 10 products or technologies are used for the first time in the country.  

Building designer told reporters that the high-tech building is installed with an energy supply and air-conditioning system using energy efficient measures or renewable energy technology, for illuminating, office equipment, air-conditioning, and ventilation. The building registers an annual power consumption of 40 kilowatts per square meter, while a high end office building would consume 100 or even 300 kilowatts per square meter in a year. Even in the hottest months in summer, the power consumed by the air-conditioning system in the building is only 10% that of a conventional building.