Baselines & Normalization
Baselines establish a reference for evaluating change in energy performance.
To be defensible, baselines must reflect how systems actually operate under varying conditions.
Why Normalization Is Required
Raw energy data is influenced by weather, load, and operating conditions.
Without normalization, changes in performance cannot be separated from changes in conditions.
Normalization Based on Measured Behavior
Normalization adjusts measured performance to account for external conditions using observed system behavior rather than assumed models.
This allows performance to be compared fairly across time, buildings, and portfolios.
Defensible Performance Comparison
When baselines are normalized consistently, performance changes can be attributed to actual improvement rather than variability.
This creates a reliable foundation for evaluation and verification.
What Comes Next
With normalized baselines established, performance can be verified and tracked over time. The next section describes how Pathian analytics support verification and persistence.