{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-blogpost-js","path":"/blog/eui-wui-benchmark-energy-water-use","result":{"data":{"post_en":{"slug":"eui-wui-benchmark-energy-water-use","title":"EUI and WUI: how to benchmark your buildings","datePublished":"2026-09-22T12:00:00+01:00","categories":"Energy, Water, Benchmarking","seoMetaTags":{"tags":[{"tagName":"title","content":"EUI and WUI: how to benchmark your buildings"},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:title","content":"EUI and WUI: how to benchmark your buildings"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"name":"twitter:title","content":"EUI and WUI: how to benchmark your buildings"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"name":"description","content":"Ana Echeverría as NanSYSTEMS CEO, focus on energy systems management, automation and system planning and execution. You(r) system, we care. Get a free quote now"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:description","content":"Ana Echeverría as NanSYSTEMS CEO, focus on energy systems management, automation and system planning and execution. You(r) system, we care. Get a free quote now"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"name":"twitter:description","content":"Ana Echeverría as NanSYSTEMS CEO, focus on energy systems management, automation and system planning and execution. You(r) system, we care. Get a free quote now"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"name":"twitter:card","content":"summary_large_image"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"article:modified_time","content":"2026-10-13T12:42:39Z"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"article:published_time","content":"2026-10-13T12:42:40Z"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:locale","content":"en_EN"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:type","content":"article"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:image","content":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?w=1000&fit=max&auto=format"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"name":"twitter:image","content":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?w=1000&fit=max&auto=format"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:image:width","content":1800}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:image:height","content":1208}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:image:alt","content":"Wireless sensor mounted on a wall next to a pipe"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"twitter:image:alt","content":"Wireless sensor mounted on a wall next to a pipe"}}]},"contentNode":{"childMarkdownRemark":{"html":"<h2>The problem with comparing buildings by their bills</h2>\n<p>A 20,000-square-foot school and a 120,000-square-foot one cannot be compared by what they pay each month. The large one almost always spends more, and that says nothing about which one runs better. A fair comparison needs an indicator that accounts for size. That is where EUI and WUI come in.</p>\n<h2>What EUI is</h2>\n<p><strong>EUI</strong> (energy use intensity) is the energy a building uses in a year divided by its floor area. In the United States it is usually expressed in kBtu per square foot per year.</p>\n<p>It helps answer questions like these:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Does this building use more energy per square foot than similar ones?</li>\n<li>Did it improve after a schedule or equipment change?</li>\n<li>Which of my buildings should I start with?</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>What WUI is</h2>\n<p><strong>WUI</strong> (water use intensity) works the same way for water: annual use divided by floor area, for example in gallons per square foot per year. It is useful for spotting leaks, excess irrigation or equipment that uses more water than it should.</p>\n<h2>How to calculate them</h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Gather a full year of bills</strong> for electricity, gas and water for each building.</li>\n<li><strong>Convert energy to one unit</strong> (kBtu) and add up all sources.</li>\n<li><strong>Get the building's floor area</strong> from a reliable source (drawings or property records).</li>\n<li><strong>Divide</strong> annual use by floor area.</li>\n</ol>\n<p>A spreadsheet is enough, but tools such as ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager handle the conversions and let you compare with buildings of the same type.</p>\n<h2>How to read them without getting it wrong</h2>\n<p>A high EUI does not automatically mean a building is poorly run. Before drawing conclusions, consider:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The type of use.</strong> A kitchen, a lab or a data center uses more than a classroom or an office.</li>\n<li><strong>Hours of occupancy.</strong> A building running three shifts is not comparable to one that closes at six.</li>\n<li><strong>Weather.</strong> Very cold or very hot years move the result.</li>\n<li><strong>Data quality.</strong> A wrongly recorded floor area changes the indicator.</li>\n</ul>\n<p>That is why it is best to compare buildings of the same type and to follow <strong>the same building year over year</strong>, which is the fairest comparison.</p>\n<h2>How to use them to decide</h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Rank</strong> your buildings from highest to lowest intensity and start at the top.</li>\n<li><strong>Set a reasonable target</strong> for each building, not the same one for all.</li>\n<li><strong>Measure the effect</strong> of each change by comparing the indicator before and after, adjusting for weather.</li>\n<li><strong>Share</strong> results with staff and the community in a simple format: one table or chart per building.</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>An example with numbers</h2>\n<p>Imagine a 50,000-square-foot building that uses 1,200,000 kWh of electricity and 8,000 therms of gas in a year (example figures, not a real case):</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Electricity: 1,200,000 kWh × 3.412 = 4,094,400 kBtu.</li>\n<li>Gas: 8,000 therms × 100 = 800,000 kBtu.</li>\n<li>Total: 4,894,400 kBtu.</li>\n<li>EUI: 4,894,400 ÷ 50,000 = about <strong>97.9 kBtu per square foot per year</strong>.</li>\n</ul>\n<p>With that number you can compare against buildings with a similar use and against your own history.</p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions</h2>\n<h3>What is a good EUI?</h3>\n<p>There is no universal number: it depends on building type, climate and use. What helps is comparing against similar buildings and following the same building over time.</p>\n<h3>Which units are used?</h3>\n<p>In the United States, kBtu per square foot per year for energy and gallons per square foot per year for water. In the metric system, kWh per square meter per year and liters per square meter per year.</p>\n<h3>What data do I need to calculate it?</h3>\n<p>Twelve months of bills for each energy and water source, and the building's floor area measured carefully.</p>\n<h3>Does it work for small buildings?</h3>\n<p>Yes. What matters is that floor area and consumption are well recorded, not the size.</p>\n<h2>Takeaway</h2>\n<p>EUI and WUI turn bills into a fair comparison between buildings. On their own they do not say what to do, but they show where to look first. If you need help calculating and reading them in your organization, request a quote through the form.</p>","timeToRead":3}},"coverImage":{"alt":"Wireless sensor mounted on a wall next to a pipe","focalPoint":{"x":0.7,"y":0.45},"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAoHBw4HBgoICAgLEgoLFyMQDg0NDhUNFhENFxMZGBYTFhUdHysjGh0oHRUiJDUlKC0vMjIyHSI4PTcwPCsxMi8BCgsLDg0PExANFy8cFh0vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vL//AABEIABEAGAMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAXAAEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFAAQB/8QAIBAAAQMEAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDBAIFERI0NSEiJf/EABYBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQBA//EABgRAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAxEC/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwB22O0LIXyaoblFV2VFUCtqay9cikKN9TbJdJUysIyXGmbjlakOBtzg1Oz/AFqU6H5SuwZC545B7EiF+wcmp/nkRGBT/9k=","aspectRatio":1.490066225165563,"src":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?auto=format","srcSet":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?auto=format&dpr=0.18&w=1800 314w,\nhttps://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?auto=format&dpr=0.35&w=1800 628w,\nhttps://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?auto=format&dpr=0.7&w=1800 1256w,\nhttps://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&w=1800 1800w","sizes":"(max-width: 1256px) 100vw, 1256px"}}},"post_es":{"slug":"eui-wui-benchmark-energy-water-use","title":"EUI y WUI: cómo comparar el consumo de tus edificios","datePublished":"2026-09-22T12:00:00+01:00","categories":"Energía, Agua, Indicadores","seoMetaTags":{"tags":[{"tagName":"title","content":"EUI y WUI: cómo comparar el consumo de tus edificios"},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:title","content":"EUI y WUI: cómo comparar el consumo de tus edificios"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"name":"twitter:title","content":"EUI y WUI: cómo comparar el consumo de tus edificios"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"name":"description","content":"Ana Echeverría CEO NanSYSTEMS, centrada  sistemas de energía,  automatización, planificación y ejecución de sistemas. Su sistema,nos importa. Presupuesto gratis"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:description","content":"Ana Echeverría CEO NanSYSTEMS, centrada  sistemas de energía,  automatización, planificación y ejecución de sistemas. Su sistema,nos importa. Presupuesto gratis"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"name":"twitter:description","content":"Ana Echeverría CEO NanSYSTEMS, centrada  sistemas de energía,  automatización, planificación y ejecución de sistemas. Su sistema,nos importa. Presupuesto gratis"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"name":"twitter:card","content":"summary_large_image"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"article:modified_time","content":"2026-10-13T12:42:39Z"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"article:published_time","content":"2026-10-13T12:42:40Z"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:locale","content":"es_ES"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:type","content":"article"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:image","content":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?w=1000&fit=max&auto=format"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"name":"twitter:image","content":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?w=1000&fit=max&auto=format"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:image:width","content":1800}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:image:height","content":1208}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"og:image:alt","content":"Wireless sensor mounted on a wall next to a pipe"}},{"tagName":"meta","attributes":{"property":"twitter:image:alt","content":"Wireless sensor mounted on a wall next to a pipe"}}]},"contentNode":{"childMarkdownRemark":{"html":"<h2>El problema de comparar edificios por la factura</h2>\n<p>Un colegio de 20.000 pies cuadrados y uno de 120.000 no pueden compararse por lo que pagan cada mes. El grande casi siempre gasta más, y eso no dice nada sobre cuál funciona mejor. Para comparar de verdad hace falta un indicador que tenga en cuenta el tamaño. Ahí entran el EUI y el WUI.</p>\n<h2>Qué es el EUI</h2>\n<p>El <strong>EUI</strong> (<em>energy use intensity</em>, intensidad de uso de energía) es la energía que consume un edificio en un año dividida por su superficie. En Estados Unidos suele expresarse en kBtu por pie cuadrado al año.</p>\n<p>Sirve para responder preguntas como estas:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>¿Este edificio gasta más energía por pie cuadrado que otros parecidos?</li>\n<li>¿Mejoró después de un cambio de horarios o de equipos?</li>\n<li>¿Por cuál de mis edificios conviene empezar?</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>Qué es el WUI</h2>\n<p>El <strong>WUI</strong> (<em>water use intensity</em>, intensidad de uso de agua) funciona igual con el agua: el consumo anual dividido por la superficie, por ejemplo en galones por pie cuadrado al año. Es útil para detectar fugas, riego excesivo o equipos que gastan más agua de la que deberían.</p>\n<h2>Cómo calcularlos</h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Reúne un año completo de facturas</strong> de electricidad, gas y agua de cada edificio.</li>\n<li><strong>Convierte la energía a una misma unidad</strong> (kBtu) y suma todas las fuentes.</li>\n<li><strong>Obtén la superficie</strong> del edificio de forma confiable (planos o registros de la propiedad).</li>\n<li><strong>Divide</strong> el consumo anual entre la superficie.</li>\n</ol>\n<p>Con una hoja de cálculo basta, pero herramientas como ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager hacen las conversiones y permiten comparar con edificios del mismo tipo.</p>\n<h2>Cómo interpretarlos sin equivocarte</h2>\n<p>Un EUI alto no significa automáticamente que el edificio esté mal operado. Antes de sacar conclusiones, ten en cuenta:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>El tipo de uso.</strong> Una cocina, un laboratorio o un centro de datos consumen más que un aula o una oficina.</li>\n<li><strong>Las horas de ocupación.</strong> Un edificio con tres turnos no se compara con uno que cierra a las seis.</li>\n<li><strong>El clima.</strong> Los años muy fríos o muy calurosos mueven el resultado.</li>\n<li><strong>La calidad de los datos.</strong> Un metro cuadrado mal registrado cambia el indicador.</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Por eso conviene comparar edificios del mismo tipo y mirar la <strong>evolución del mismo edificio</strong> año con año, que es la comparación más justa.</p>\n<h2>Cómo usarlos para decidir</h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ordena</strong> tus edificios de mayor a menor intensidad y empieza por los de arriba.</li>\n<li><strong>Fija una meta</strong> razonable por edificio, no una igual para todos.</li>\n<li><strong>Mide el efecto</strong> de cada cambio comparando el indicador antes y después, ajustando por clima.</li>\n<li><strong>Comunica</strong> los resultados al personal y a la comunidad en un formato simple: una tabla o un gráfico por edificio.</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>Un ejemplo con números</h2>\n<p>Imagina un edificio de 50.000 pies cuadrados que consume en un año 1.200.000 kWh de electricidad y 8.000 therms de gas (cifras de ejemplo, no de un caso real):</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Electricidad: 1.200.000 kWh × 3,412 = 4.094.400 kBtu.</li>\n<li>Gas: 8.000 therms × 100 = 800.000 kBtu.</li>\n<li>Total: 4.894.400 kBtu.</li>\n<li>EUI: 4.894.400 ÷ 50.000 = unos <strong>97,9 kBtu por pie cuadrado al año</strong>.</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Con ese número ya puedes compararlo con edificios de uso parecido y con tu propio historial.</p>\n<h2>Preguntas frecuentes</h2>\n<h3>¿Qué es un buen EUI?</h3>\n<p>No existe un número universal: depende del tipo de edificio, del clima y del uso. Lo útil es compararlo con edificios similares y con la evolución del mismo edificio.</p>\n<h3>¿Qué unidades se usan?</h3>\n<p>En Estados Unidos, kBtu por pie cuadrado al año para la energía y galones por pie cuadrado al año para el agua. En sistema métrico se usan kWh por metro cuadrado al año y litros por metro cuadrado al año.</p>\n<h3>¿Qué datos necesito para calcularlo?</h3>\n<p>Doce meses de facturas de cada fuente de energía y de agua, y la superficie del edificio medida con criterio.</p>\n<h3>¿Sirve para edificios pequeños?</h3>\n<p>Sí. Lo importante es que la superficie y los consumos estén bien registrados, no el tamaño.</p>\n<h2>Para llevarte</h2>\n<p>El EUI y el WUI convierten facturas en una comparación justa entre edificios. No dicen por sí solos qué hacer, pero señalan dónde mirar primero. Si necesitas ayuda para calcularlos y leerlos en tu organización, pide una cotización desde el formulario.</p>","timeToRead":3}},"coverImage":{"alt":"Sensor inalámbrico instalado en la pared junto a una tubería","focalPoint":{"x":0.7,"y":0.45},"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAoHBw4HBgoICAgLEgoLFyMQDg0NDhUNFhENFxMZGBYTFhUdHysjGh0oHRUiJDUlKC0vMjIyHSI4PTcwPCsxMi8BCgsLDg0PExANFy8cFh0vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vLy8vL//AABEIABEAGAMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAXAAEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFAAQB/8QAIBAAAQMEAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDBAIFERI0NSEiJf/EABYBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQBA//EABgRAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAxEC/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwB22O0LIXyaoblFV2VFUCtqay9cikKN9TbJdJUysIyXGmbjlakOBtzg1Oz/AFqU6H5SuwZC545B7EiF+wcmp/nkRGBT/9k=","aspectRatio":1.490066225165563,"src":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?auto=format","srcSet":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?auto=format&dpr=0.18&w=1800 314w,\nhttps://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?auto=format&dpr=0.35&w=1800 628w,\nhttps://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?auto=format&dpr=0.7&w=1800 1256w,\nhttps://www.datocms-assets.com/39234/1791895322-servicio-iot-inalambrico.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&w=1800 1800w","sizes":"(max-width: 1256px) 100vw, 1256px"}}}},"pageContext":{"slug":"eui-wui-benchmark-energy-water-use"}},"staticQueryHashes":["1133167473","741679306"]}