Define Energy Use Intensity (EUI) and its significance in LEED.

• A. EUI is energy use per area per year; lower EUI indicates better energy performance.
• B. EUI is energy use per occupant per year; higher is better.
• C. EUI is energy cost per year; lower cost means better performance.
• D. EUI is energy use per volume per year; higher is better.

Answer: (A)

Energy Use Intensity measures how much energy a building uses in a year for each unit of floor area. It’s usually shown as energy per square foot per year (or per square meter per year), so it normalizes consumption to the size of the building. Because of this normalization, lower EUI means the building is using less energy per area, indicating better energy performance in both design and operation.

In LEED, EUI is a practical way to compare energy performance across buildings and over time. Projects that achieve lower EUI relative to baselines or performance targets demonstrate more efficient design and operation, which helps earn points in the Energy and Atmosphere category. It also supports energy modeling, performance documentation, and ongoing energy tracking to verify improvements and efficiency strategies. For context, a building with a lower EUI—say, fewer energy units per square foot per year—would reflect tighter envelopes, more efficient systems, and smarter occupancy management, all of which LEED aims to encourage.