Electric load profiles of tropical, subtropical and some Mediterranean islands in developed countries are characterised by morning/midday and evening peaks arising from all year round (tropical) and summer (subtropical/mediterranean) high power demand in the commercial and residential sectors, due mostly to air conditioning appliances and bad thermal conception of the building. The work presented in this paper has led to the conception of a global quality standard for energy saving and thermal comfort.These quality standards are obtained through optimized bioclimatic urban planning and architectural design, the use of passive cooling architectural components, natural ventilation and energy efficient systems such as solar water heaters. We evaluated, with the aid of an airflow and thermal building simulation software (CODYRUN), the impact of each technical solution on thermal comfort within the building. These technical solutions will be implemented in 280 new pilot dwelling projects through the year 1996 thanks to a partnership between the French Electricity Board (EDF), institutions concerned by energy saving and environmental conservation (ADEME) and construction quality improvment, The Ministries of Housing, Industry and the French Overseas Department, The University of Reunion Island and several other public and private partners.