Anyone have current benchmark data for big box retail? Working with a 120,000 sq ft store in Akron on Ohio Edison that's hitting 18 kWh/sq ft annually. Seems high but client says it's normal for their chain. Monthly bills running $14,500-19,000 on Rate GS. Just need a quick sanity check before I dig deeper into the analysis.
Quick question - retail benchmarks per sq ft
Bob, 18 kWh/sq ft does seem high for big box retail. We typically see 12-15 kWh/sq ft here in Washington for stores that size. Are they running refrigeration? Grocery stores obviously use more but general merchandise should be lower. Also check if they're including any warehouse or distribution space in that square footage - that would skew the numbers.
Vera's right - 18 kWh/sq ft is definitely high for non-grocery retail. We have a similar sized store here in Oregon that runs about 14 kWh/sq ft. Bob, I'd look at their HVAC scheduling first. A lot of big box stores over-condition their space, especially if they're trying to compete with online shopping by making the store experience more comfortable. Also check lighting - if they haven't converted to LED yet, that's probably a big chunk of the usage.