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.

What is Energy Use Intensity (EUI)?


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.

Market Sector Property type Source EUI (kBtu/ft2)  Site EUI (kBtu/ft2) 
Banking/Financial Services Bank Branch 209.9 88.3
Banking/Financial Services Financial Office 116.4 52.9
Education College/University  180.6 84.3
Education K-12 School 104.4 48.5
Education Pre-school/Daycare  131.5 64.8
Education Vocational School/Adult Education 110.4 52.4
Public Assembly Convention Center/Meeting Hall 109.6 56.1
Public Assembly Recreation/Athletic Centers 112.0 50.8
Public Assembly Entertainment 112.0 56.2
Public Assembly Worship Facility 58.4 30.5
Food Sales & Service Convenience Store 592.6 231.4
Food Sales & Service Bar/Nightclub  297 130.7
Food Sales & Service Fast Food Restaurant  886.4 402.7
Food Sales & Service Restaurant 573.7 325.6
Food Sales & Service Supermarket/Grocery Store 444 196
Food Sales & Service Wholesale Club/Supercenter 120 51.4
Healthcare Ambulatory Surgical Center 138.3 62.0
Healthcare Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) 426.9 234.3
Healthcare Other/Specialty Hospital 433.9 206.7
Healthcare Medical Office 121.7 51.2
Healthcare Outpatient Rehabilitation/Physical Therapy 138.3 62.0
Healthcare Urgent Care/Clinic/Other Outpatient 145.8 64.5
Lodging/Residential Barracks 107.5 57.9
Lodging/Residential Hotel 146.7 63.0
Lodging/Residential Multifamily Housing 118.1 59.6
Lodging/Residential Prison/Incarceration 156.4 69.9
Lodging/Residential Residence Hall/Dormitory 107.5 57.9
Lodging/Residential Residential Care Facility 213.2 99.0
Mixed Use Mixed Use Property 89.3 40.1
Office Medical Office 121.7 51.2
Office Office 116.4 52.9
Office Veterinary Office 145.8 64.5
Public Services Courthouse 211.4 101.2
Public Services Fire/Police Station 124.9 63.5
Public Services Library 143.6 71.6
Public Services Mailing Center/Post Office 96.9 47.9
Public Services Transportation Terminal/Station 112.0 56.2
Retail Automobile Dealership 124.1 55.0
Retail Enclosed Mall 170.7 65.7
Retail Strip Mall 228.8 103.5
Retail Retail Store 120.0 103.5
Technology/Science Laboratory 318.2 115.3
Services Dry cleaning, Shoe Repair, Locksmith, Salon, etc. 96.9 47.9
Utility Drinking Water Treatment & Distribution 5.9 2.3
Utility Energy/Power Station 89.3 40.1
Warehouse/Storage Self-Storage Facility 47.8 20.2
Warehouse/Storage Distribution Center 52.9 22.7
Warehouse/Storage Non-Refrigerated Warehouse 52.9 22.7
Warehouse/Storage Refrigerated Warehouse 235.6 84.1

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

U.S. Vehicle Dealerships Can Now Earn the ENERGY STAR!

So is 7,500,000 kBtu a lot or a little in a year?

Well, it depends in part on how big the building is, right? For example, if a 50,000-square-foot school consumed that amount of energy last year, its EUI would be 150. But if a 10,000-square-foot restaurant consumed the same amount, its EUI would be 750.

So in this example, even though they’re consuming the same amount of energy, the restaurant is far more energy-intensive than the school.