What is Energy Use Intensity (EUI)?

When you benchmark your building in Portfolio Manager, one of the key metrics you’ll see is energy use intensity, or EUI. Essentially, EUI expresses a building’s energy use as a function of its size or other characteristics.

For property types in Portfolio Manager, EUI is expressed as energy per square foot per year. It’s calculated by dividing the total energy consumed by the building in one year (measured in kBtu or GJ) by the total gross floor area of the building (measured in square feet or square meters). Portfolio Manager automatically does the conversion to kBtu or GJ, so you can just enter your energy use information as you get it on your utility bills.

Both site and source EUI are available in Portfolio Manager, though EPA relies on source EUI as the basis for the ENERGY STAR score. Learn the difference between source and site energy.

Some Property Types Are More Energy Intensive Than Others

Generally, a low EUI signifies good energy performance. However, certain property types will always use more energy than others. For example, an elementary school uses relatively little energy compared to a hospital.

Median EUIs in the United States

For details on how these national energy use intensities are calculated, see Portfolio Manager Technical Reference: U.S. National Energy Use Intensity.

*Energy per flow in gallons per day.

For more information about national energy use intensities in Canada, see:

• Portfolio Manager Technical Reference: Canadian National Energy Use Intensity