Benchmarking is the process of examining a building over time in terms of how much energy it is using and how much that is costing the building owner on a yearly basis. The goal of this effort is to determine how buildings are performing from an energy standpoint and to compare it to other buildings of similar size and use in the region. This will allow us to decide whether or not there is the potential for energy and cost savings through reductions in energy consumption and improvements in energy efficiency.
The takeaways from this report are the building’s Energy Use Intensity (EUI) figures, which describe how much energy the building(s) consumes per square foot per year (kBtu/ft²/YR). The EUI is broken down into Site EUI, which accounts only for the energy consumed on-site, and the Source EUI, which takes into account the losses associated with the generation and distribution of electricity. We also determine the energy cost per square foot per year ($/ft²/YR), or the Cost Use Intensity (CUI).
We compare your energy bills to similar buildings as a first step in our analysis during an Energy Audit. Benchmarking also helps us understand where and when you use the most energy – electricity versus heating and their costs, and we can then further determine end uses of your energy. Some buildings in NH are so inefficient they are “off the chart”.
Poorly performing buildings have options. After a benchmarking report, we can consult with you in order to determine the next best step. An Energy Audit will help to us to better understand why your building is performing poorly and what we can do to improve its efficiency and save you money. These may include “no-cost, low-cost” energy efficiency measures, building commissioning or retro-commissioning, and/or monitoring and verification.
