Overview

The BACC – Direct Current Autonomous Building joint laboratory brings together ENERGY-Lab at the University of Reunion Island and INTEGRALE Ingénierie to develop direct-current energy systems tailored to buildings in tropical environments.

The project focuses on DC nanogrids combining photovoltaic generation, energy storage and intelligent control. By reducing conversions between alternating and direct current, these architectures aim to improve energy efficiency, self-consumption and the resilience of buildings and isolated infrastructure.

Research covers the direct supply of cooling loads, AI-based predictive energy management, distributed battery and hydrogen storage, and the safety, standardisation and techno-economic viability of DC solutions. The long-term ambition is to prepare the deployment of Reunion Island’s first DC-powered tertiary building.

Selected under the ANR LabCom 2025 V2 call, the project reference is ANR-25-LCV2-0015-01. Its contractual duration is 54 months, and the maximum ANR grant awarded to the University of Reunion Island is EUR 362,065.