Real EUI data from commercial building assessments — kBtu per square foot per year.
| Building Type | Avg. EUI (kBtu/sqft/yr) | National Avg. | vs. National Avg. | Assessments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare / Medical | 349.2 | 312 | +11.9% | 1* |
| Office | 128.3 | 167 | -23.2% | 4* |
| Retail | 148.3 | 158 | -6.1% | 1* |
| Warehouse / Distribution | 94 | 98 | -4.1% | 2* |
* Categories with fewer than 10 real assessments use CBECS reference data
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Get My EUI Score →EUI measures a building's total energy use per square foot per year, expressed in kBtu/sqft. It's the standard metric for comparing efficiency across buildings of different sizes. A lower EUI means better performance. ENERGY STAR's target for most office buildings is below 50 kBtu/sqft.
An office EUI below 100 kBtu/sqft is considered good. The U.S. national average for commercial offices is approximately 167 kBtu/sqft (CBECS 2018). ENERGY STAR certified offices typically score between 50–80 kBtu/sqft. If your office EUI is above 200, there are likely significant optimization opportunities.
Healthcare buildings operate 24/7, require very high outdoor air ventilation rates (ASHRAE Standard 170) for infection control, run specialized medical equipment, and need redundant systems. These requirements drive EUI 2–4× higher than offices. A hospital with EUI below 300 kBtu/sqft is performing well relative to peers.
The highest-impact EUI reductions come from: (1) HVAC optimization — setback schedules, variable speed drives, economizer controls; (2) LED lighting retrofits — typically 50–70% lighting energy reduction; (3) Building envelope improvements — insulation, window upgrades; (4) Sub-metering and occupancy controls. A targeted energy audit identifies your specific opportunities ranked by ROI.
These benchmarks are aggregated from building owners and operators who have run energy audits, submitted utility data, and used the EnergyStackHub assessment tools. We supplement categories with fewer than 10 assessments using CBECS 2018 national reference data and disclose this clearly.
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