Beijing energy efficiency and renewable energy demonstration building

In summer of 1999, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the China Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), to determine the feasibility of jointly constructing an energy efficient, mid-size office building demonstration project in downtown Beijing, China. The Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics (CBPD) at Carnegie Mellon University offered to host and conduct a design workshop for the demonstration building. The objective of this workshop was to provide United States and China buildings representatives a unique opportunity to interact on a range of sustainable energy issues - and to help develop the model demonstration building. This paper describes the principal recommendations for the demonstration building project that are the outcome of the design workshop held at Carnegie Mellon University during December 1999. The workshop was conducted in a wonderful spirit of cooperation. The authors are indebted to their colleagues from China for their generous, professional and constructive team spirit.