Measuring Energy Use in Buildings:
Do Our Metrics Really Add Up?

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Baseline energy use intensity for the Power House in St. Louis, a 1928 building adapted by Cannon Design for its regional office, was 182 kBtu/ft², while modeled design projected 139 kBtu/ft². Actual energy use in the building’s first year of operation exceeded expectations at 91 kBtu/ft².

Test your energy personality! How much energy our buildings use matters to you, but comparing from building to building is tricky. Answer these questions and we’ll tell you which energy metric suits you best.

A. I want to be able to check my utility meter and my solar panel output and call it a day.

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ARTICLE CONTENTS
	1) Which statement describes what you want in a metric?
	2) Fill in the blank. It’s all about __________.
	3) I don’t like metrics that __________.
	Key Energy Metrics—Site, Source, Cost
		Site energy
		Source energy
		Energy cost
		Energy use intensity (EUI)
		Variations in source energy
		What’s a good target? The role of CBECS
	Getting Beyond the Data
	Tools for Homes
		HERS Index
		Energy Star for Homes
		DOE Home Energy Score
		Sidebar: Do-it-yourself energy benchmarking?
		Passivhaus
	Tools for Commercial Buildings
		Energy Star Portfolio Manager
		LEED and the Building Performance Partnership
		ASHRAE Building Energy Quotient (bEQ) rating
		The 2030 Challenge
	What’s Ahead for Metrics

Measuring Energy Use in Buildings: Do Our Metrics Really Add Up?

This page is visible only to BuildingGreen members

Measuring Energy Use in Buildings:
Do Our Metrics Really Add Up?