Building Units: Using analytic dashboards

This article explains how building unit analytics work in Scaler, what insights are available at the unit level, and how unit-level data supports validation, benchmarking, tenant engagement, and operational analysis.

Building unit analytics provide visibility into energy, emissions, and data coverage at the level of individual units within an asset.

Building units can represent:

Unit-level analytics help explain how specific spaces contribute to overall asset performance without changing underlying asset-level calculations. The insights are useful for validating metering setup, reviewing tenant-specific data, comparing spaces, and identifying areas where efficiency improvements may be needed.

Building Unit Analytics is a premium add-on service. Contact your account operations manager regarding pricing and enablement.

Building unit analytics are shown when:

If no meters are linked to a unit, analytics may show limited or no values.

Navigation: Analytics Portal → Asset → Building Units

The Building Units list displays all units associated with an asset in a structured table, providing a quick way to confirm unit configuration and navigate to deeper unit-level insights.

Location: Analytics Portal → Asset → Building Units

Each row represents a building unit and includes key fields such as:

The list provides several capabilities:

Selecting a unit from the list opens the Building Unit Overview, which mirrors the structure of the Asset Overview but focuses on a single unit's performance.

Location: Analytics Portal → Asset → Building Units → [Select unit] → Overview

Total energy consumption

Displays the total energy consumed by the unit, typically shown with monthly or annual trends. This includes all energy sources from meters linked to the unit.

When a meter is linked to multiple units, consumption is apportioned based on each unit's Unit floor area relative to the total area served by that meter.

Energy Use Intensity (EUI)

Calculated as total energy consumption divided by Unit floor area, enabling comparison across units of different sizes.

Total emissions

Displays the total greenhouse gas emissions attributed to the unit, based on energy consumption and applicable emission factors.

GHG intensity (GHGi)

Calculated as total emissions divided by Unit floor area, providing a normalized metric for comparing emissions performance across units.

Data coverage shows the completeness of inputs used for unit-level analytics, including:

Low data coverage indicates potential gaps in metering setup or missing consumption records that may affect analytics accuracy.

Certifications entered at the building unit level in the Data Collection Portal appear on the Building Unit Overview, providing visibility into unit-specific sustainability credentials alongside performance metrics.

Building unit analytics are commonly used to:

Understand which spaces drive energy use or emissions

Identify high-consumption units within an asset to prioritize efficiency improvements or investigate anomalies.

Validate meter-to-unit mapping

Confirm that meters are correctly linked to units and that consumption is being allocated appropriately, especially for shared meters.

Compare units within the same asset

Benchmark similar units (e.g., tenant spaces of comparable size) to identify outliers or best performers.

Review tenant-linked performance

Analyze energy use for specific tenants where meters are tenant-controlled, supporting tenant engagement and sub-metering workflows.

Support operational decisions

Track efficiency and usage patterns at a granular level to inform maintenance, upgrades, or lease negotiations.

Enable regulatory compliance

Meet Building Performance Standards requirements (like NYC's Local Law 97) that assess compliance based on unit-level property types and floor areas.

Unit-level insights complement asset-level analytics rather than replacing them.

Building unit analytics support several common workflows:

Confirm meter-to-unit mapping and identify missing or misallocated consumption. Use the Building Units list to quickly spot units with no linked meters or incomplete data coverage.

Review tenant-linked performance where meters are tenant-controlled. Compare consumption and intensity metrics across tenant spaces to inform engagement strategies or lease agreements.

Track efficiency and usage patterns at a granular level. Identify seasonal variations, unusual consumption spikes, or opportunities for operational improvements.

Identify high-impact units for targeted efficiency or retrofit measures. Prioritize units with high GHG intensity or significant contribution to overall asset emissions.

Validate that sub-metered consumption aligns with expectations and that shared meters are apportioning consumption correctly across multiple units.

The Building Units list enables quick comparison across units within an asset:

For more detailed comparison, open multiple Building Unit Overview pages in separate tabs to view analytics side-by-side.

Building Units menu not appearing in Analytics Portal → Verify that building units are configured in the Data Collection Portal and that Building Unit Analytics is enabled for your account. Contact your account operations manager if needed.

Metrics not displaying or showing as zero → Confirm that meters are linked to the unit and that those meters have consumption data for the selected time period. Check data coverage to identify gaps.

Data coverage appears incomplete → Review meter linkages in the Data Collection Portal to ensure all relevant meters are connected to the unit. Verify that Unit floor area is populated and that consumption data exists for linked meters.

Consumption seems too high or too low → For shared meters linked to multiple units, verify that Unit floor area is correct for all units sharing that meter, as consumption is apportioned based on floor area ratios.

Certifications not appearing on overview → Confirm that certifications are entered at the building unit level (not just asset level) in the Data Collection Portal. Certifications added to the asset will not appear on individual unit overviews.

Cannot compare units effectively → Ensure all units have Property type and Unit floor area configured consistently. Units missing these fields may not calculate intensity metrics correctly.