Tutorial #11

Analyzing the science

Measured Versus expected EUIs in LEED-Certified buildings

One common measurement of how well a building performs with regard to energy usage is its
energy use intensity (EUI). EUI is expressed as energy used (in gigajoules) relative to a
building’s size so that structures of different sizes can be compared. this graph plots data for 36
LEED- certified office buildings, comparing their actual performances to expected performances
based on their designs. (each data point represents a different building’s EUI.) the line shown is
not a trend line for the actual data; it is a line that bisects the graph at a 45° angle, allowing us to
see how closely the expected values match the observed values.

INTERPRETATION
1. Look at the points labelled A and B. For each, what was the expected EUI predicted by the
design plan? What was the actual measured EUI for each of these buildings?
2. Which of these two buildings, A or B, is performing better than expected?
3. Give the coordinate points for the one building that performed exactly as expected.
4.What does the line in the scatter plot tell you about those buildings above or below it?

ADVANCE YOUR THINKING

5. About how well do LEED-certified buildings meet or exceed their predicted EUI?
6. The average EUI for non-LEED office buildings is 2.19 gJ/m2. How do LEED-certified
buildings, even those that do not perform as well as expected, compare to this average?