How do I compare energy consumption between my sites?
Direct answer
You compare energy consumption between sites fairly by normalising for floor area, opening hours, occupancy, production, installations and climate. Simply placing kWh side by side often gives a misleading picture.
- Normalise for context
- Benchmark per site type
- Compare costs and peaks
- Prioritise outliers
Raw kWh list versus a fair energy benchmark
Site comparison is powerful, but only when the context is right. A large site with longer opening hours logically consumes more than a small site. The question is which site deviates from what you would expect.
Key points
KPI
Traditional approach
Total consumption per site.
Modern approach
Consumption per m², opening hour, production or relevant driver.
Context
Traditional approach
Site differences are not explained.
Modern approach
Site type and usage profile are taken into account.
Priority
Traditional approach
The largest site seems the biggest problem.
Modern approach
Outliers with the most improvement potential surface.
Which KPIs do you use?
Choose KPIs that suit the organisation. Think of kWh per m², per revenue hour, per production unit, per room, per charging point or per opening hour.
- kWh per m² or occupancy hour.
- Peak power per site.
- Costs per relevant business driver.
- Baseload outside usage hours.
How do you avoid wrong conclusions?
Compare sites in clusters and check data quality. Otherwise you steer on differences that actually arise from measurement errors or site characteristics.
- Cluster comparable sites.
- Check for missing measurement data.
- Use history as a reference.
- Link deviations to actions.
Curious what this looks like with your own data?
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Where this adds value directly
Benchmark
Make fair site comparisons.
Portfolio
Find outliers across multiple locations.
Priority
Focus improvement actions on the biggest opportunities.
Frequently asked questions
Practical answers to common questions about this topic.
Question not covered here?
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Ask your questionIs kWh per m² always enough?
No. For some sectors, opening hours, occupancy, production or charging activity are better explanatory variables.
Can you compare costs too?
Yes, but combine costs with contract type, peak load and tariffs to compare like with like.
What is the core of compare energy consumption between sites?
You compare energy consumption between sites fairly by normalising for floor area, opening hours, occupancy, production, installations and climate. Simply placing kWh side by side often gives a misleading picture.
What data do I need for compare energy consumption between sites?
Start with quarter-hour meter data, invoices, contract data and site characteristics. That makes compare energy consumption between sites concrete, comparable and easier to follow up, rather than just a separate report.
When does this topic become relevant for my organisation?
As soon as it touches costs, grid capacity, reporting or daily operations. Also consider related themes such as energy benchmark sites, compare consumption across locations and multi-site energy benchmark.
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