EUI (Energy Use Intensity)

EUI = Total Annual Energy (kWh) / Gross Floor Area (m²). It normalises energy consumption by building size, enabling comparison across buildings of different sizes. Typical benchmarks (kWh/m²/year): Office — good <150, average 150-250, poor >300; Retail — good <200, average 200-350; Hospital — good <300, average 350-500. EUI should be weather-normalised for year-on-year comparison using heating/cooling degree days. Source EUI includes generation and transmission losses; Site EUI measures energy consumed at the building. ENERGY STAR, NABERS, and LEED all use EUI-based metrics. Limitations: EUI does not account for occupancy density, operating hours, or process loads — supplementary metrics may be needed.

EUI is the single most important metric for benchmarking building energy performance. It enables portfolio-level comparison, identifies underperforming buildings, and tracks the impact of energy efficiency investments over time. For ESG reporting, EUI is the standard metric for Scope 1 and 2 emissions calculation.