Operations · Power BI template

Energy Consumption Power BI template

Power BI energy and sustainability dashboard template: kWh, cost, carbon and intensity KPIs, hourly load, source mix, site vs baseline and load-profile heatmap.

By · Founder & Reliability Engineer · Updated

Free for commercial use

Light version: same layout, colours re-solved and checked for WCAG AA contrast.

Energy Consumption Power BI dashboard template: 4 KPI cards, an area chart, a donut chart, a column chart, a matrix and 2 slicers on a 1280×720 page

BetaOpens in Power BI Desktop with 5 tables of sample data and every visual bound. See what’s inside

Free, no sign-up. The PBIP with sample data includes the background, theme and a README. 1920×1080 fits a new page in a Fluent 2 report; 1280×720 and 2× fit Classic pages. Downloads carry a small “Made with VizForge” mark (sign in to the studio to remove it).

Customise in the design studio →
Layout
Header card, 4 KPIs, hourly area + source donut, site columns + load-profile matrix
Page size
1280×720 px (16:9, Power BI default)
Theme
Obsidian Gold

Open the sample-data PBIP in Power BI Desktop

Checked against Microsoft Learn's Power BI Desktop projects documentation (as of Nov 2026).

  1. 1

    Unzip to a short path and open the .pbip

    Extract the zip to a short local folder such as C:\PBI (Windows limits project paths to 260 characters, and Desktop can't save a project straight to OneDrive or SharePoint), then double-click the .pbip file or use File → Open in Power BI Desktop. Microsoft still lists projects and TMDL as preview features (as of Nov 2026): if Desktop won't open the project, go to File → Options and settings → Options → Preview features, tick “Power BI Project (.pbip) save option” and “Store semantic model using TMDL format”, then restart Desktop.

  2. 2

    Select Refresh once

    The project ships without the local data cache (.pbi/cache.abf), so Desktop opens the full model definition without data. Select Home → Refresh: every table is built from values written into its Power Query step, so there is no data source to sign in to.

  3. 3

    Save as .pbix or connect your data

    Use File → Save as to keep a single .pbix file, or open Transform data and replace each table's Source step with your own query, keeping the column names so the measures and visuals keep working.

What’s inside the Energy sample model

Rendered from the same definition the download writes as TMDL, so this list always matches the file.

Tables
5
Fact rows
459
DAX measures
6

Hourly half-hour-meter data summed to the hour for a head office and a distribution centre, 26 Oct to 1 Nov 2026: grid electricity, gas and on-site solar, with tariffs and emission factors on each meter. Units: kWh; GBP; kg CO2e (UK 2026 factors simplified for the sample).

Tables and columns

Calendar

Date table · 2026, one row per day

Date table generated in Power Query (List.Dates), marked as the model's date table.

  • Date (date)
  • Year (whole number)
  • Quarter (text)
  • Month (text)
  • Month Name (text)
  • Week Start (date)
  • Weekday (text)
  • Fiscal Year (text)

Hour

Dimension · 24 rows

Hours of the day.

  • Hour (whole number)
  • Hour Label (text)

Site

Dimension · 2 rows

Sites with floor area and the weekly baseline the energy team reports against.

  • Site (text)
  • Floor Area m2 (whole number)
  • Weekly Baseline kWh (whole number)

Meter

Dimension · 4 rows

Meters with their site, energy source, unit rate and emission factor.

  • Meter (text)
  • Site (text)
  • Source (text)
  • Rate per kWh (decimal)
  • kg CO2e per kWh (decimal)

Readings

Fact · 459 rows

Consumption per meter per hour.

  • Date (date)
  • Hour (whole number)
  • Meter (text)
  • kWh (decimal)

Relationships

Many-to-one, single direction. Inactive relationships are switched on inside a measure with USERELATIONSHIP.

  • Readings[Date] → 'Calendar'[Date]
  • Readings[Hour] → Hour[Hour]
  • Readings[Meter] → Meter[Meter]
  • Meter[Site] → Site[Site]

DAX measures

All measures live in a dedicated Key Measures table. Copy any of them into your own model; rename the table and column references to match.

Consumption kWhEnergy used (on-site solar included).
Consumption kWh =
SUM ( Readings[kWh] )

Format string: #,0

Consumption MWhEnergy used in megawatt-hours.
Consumption MWh =
[Consumption kWh] / 1000

Format string: #,0.0

Energy CostConsumption priced at each meter's unit rate.
Energy Cost =
SUMX ( Readings, Readings[kWh] * RELATED ( Meter[Rate per kWh] ) )

Format string: £#,0

Carbon tCO2eLocation-based emissions in tonnes.
Carbon tCO2e =
SUMX ( Readings, Readings[kWh] * RELATED ( Meter[kg CO2e per kWh] ) ) / 1000

Format string: #,0.00

Intensity kWh per m2Energy per square metre of floor area for the period.
Intensity kWh per m2 =
DIVIDE ( [Consumption kWh], SUM ( Site[Floor Area m2] ) )

Format string: #,0.00

Baseline kWhWeekly baseline (the sample covers one week).
Baseline kWh =
SUM ( Site[Weekly Baseline kWh] )

Format string: #,0

What each visual is bound to

The PBIP opens with these fields already on each visual.

Field bindings per visual
VisualFields
SiteSlicerSite[Site]
MeterSlicerMeter[Meter]
Consumption (MWh)Card[Consumption MWh]
Energy costCard[Energy Cost]
Carbon (tCO2e)Card[Carbon tCO2e]
Intensity (kWh/m²)Card[Intensity kWh per m2]
Consumption by hourArea chartHour[Hour Label], [Consumption kWh]
Consumption by sourceDonut chartMeter[Source], [Consumption kWh]
Sites vs baselineColumn chartSite[Site], [Consumption kWh], [Baseline kWh]
Load profile: weekday × hourMatrixCalendar[Weekday], [Consumption kWh], Hour[Hour Label]

Questions this dashboard answers

Each one is answered by a visual on the page, from the sample model's own tables and measures.

About this dashboard layout

Energy managers need consumption, cost and carbon side by side, because the three move differently: a tariff change moves cost without moving kWh, and a grid-mix change moves carbon without either. The KPI row carries all three plus energy intensity (kWh per square metre or per unit produced), which is the number that makes sites comparable.

The hourly area chart shows the load shape; most savings are found at night and at weekends, when the building should be idle. The donut beside it splits consumption by source (grid, solar, gas, CHP). Keep it to five slices or fewer.

The bottom row compares sites against their baseline (clustered columns: actual vs weather-normalised baseline) and shows a weekday by hour load-profile heatmap built from a matrix with a background colour scale. A bright band at 3 a.m. on a Sunday is an energy-saving opportunity you can point at.

Report carbon with a location-based emission factor table keyed by year and region, joined to consumption in the model. Hard-coding a single factor in a measure makes year-on-year comparisons wrong as soon as the grid gets cleaner.

Visuals on the page

Positions are Power BI page pixels. Enter them in Format → General → Properties → Size and position, or use the PBIP download where they are already set.

Visual positions in the Energy Consumption template
VisualTypeXYWidthHeight
SiteSlicer9043216040
MeterSlicer10803216040
Consumption (MWh)Card4012022472
Energy costCard35212022472
Carbon (tCO2e)Card66412022472
Intensity (kWh/m²)Card97612022472
Consumption by hourArea chart40240784200
Consumption by sourceDonut chart872240368200
Sites vs baselineColumn chart40488576192
Load profile: weekday × hourMatrix664488576192

Custom visuals for this layout

Built-in Power BI visuals cover most slots above. These slots also suit a custom visual; each page covers the data shape, DAX and a prompt to generate it as a .pbiviz.

Already have a report?

Brand Makeover tries Energy Consumption first on every page of your Power BI project (.pbip zip) where it fits: the page's visuals have to go into its 8 data slots without overlaps. Pages it can't seat get another catalog layout or a brand grid. Queries, filters and bookmarks are left as they are. Free, in your browser.

Opens with the Analyst / Dense preset, because the Executive preset doesn't use this layout (8 data slots; this preset uses templates with at most 7).

Restyle my report into this

Swap a slot for a custom visual

Pick any slot and VizForge AI writes a custom visual (.pbiviz, with TypeScript source) sized to it, in this template's colours and shaped for the fields it is bound to.

Generate one that fits this layout.

Card · 224×72 px · bound to [Consumption MWh]

1, 2 or 5 credits depending on the brief · 5 free on signup. Sign in or create a free account on the next screen; the brief is saved for 30 minutes.

Brief sent to the generator (you can edit it there)

A Power BI card visual titled "Consumption (MWh)". It sits in a 224×72 px slot on a designed report page. Match the report's brand: data colours #E3C46E, #F2EFE6, #B07D4A, #7F98B5, #5EA8A0, #C98C9A; background #151518; text #F2EFE6; font Segoe UI. Transparent visual background so the page design shows through; no visual border. In the sample model it is bound to [Consumption MWh]; keep the same data roles so the fields drop straight in.

Not sure what to build? Browse the visual catalog or open the template in the design studio and hand off any slot from there. Or start in the AI generator with a blank brief.

Colours and theme

Obsidian Gold

Luxury dark Power BI theme: obsidian page, champagne gold lead colour and ivory, bronze and steel data colours for wealth and premium brand reports.

See the Obsidian Gold palette and contrast checks →

Use the background in an existing report

Prefer to keep your own report? Apply the design to it instead of opening the PBIP.

  1. 1

    Download the background

    Take the 1920×1080 PNG for a new page in a Fluent 2 report (the default size for new pages), or the 2× PNG (2560×1440) for sharp text on a 1280×720 Classic page. Power BI scales the image to the canvas.

  2. 2

    Set the canvas background

    Format page → Canvas background → Browse. Set Image fit to Fill and transparency to 0%.

  3. 3

    Import the theme

    Design ribbon → Import theme (in the Power BI service: View → Theme pane), then pick the downloaded JSON. Data colours and fonts now match the design. Older Desktop builds: View → Themes → Browse for themes.

  4. 4

    Place your visuals

    Size each visual to the positions above with background and border off, or open the PBIP project where they are already placed.

Questions about this template

Does the Energy Consumption template come with sample data?

Yes. The “PBIP with sample data” download contains a semantic model with 5 tables and 6 DAX measures, and every visual on the page is already bound to it. The sample: Hourly half-hour-meter data summed to the hour for a head office and a distribution centre, 26 Oct to 1 Nov 2026: grid electricity, gas and on-site solar, with tariffs and emission factors on each meter. The data is written into each table's Power Query step, so there is no data source or sign-in.

Is it a .pbix file?

It is a Power BI project (PBIP): a folder of text files that Power BI Desktop opens like a .pbix. Open the .pbip file, select Refresh once to load the sample rows, then use File → Save as if you want a single .pbix.

What visuals are in the Energy Consumption template?

The page has 10 visual areas: 2 slicers, 4 cards, 1 area chart, 1 donut chart, 1 column chart, 1 matrix. Their exact positions are listed on this page so you can match them in Power BI's Format → General → Properties panel, or skip that step by downloading the PBIP project.

Which theme does the Energy Consumption template use?

It ships with the Obsidian Gold theme (dark tone). Download the theme JSON here, or open the template in the design studio and switch to any other theme or your own brand colours.

Is there a light version of the Energy Consumption template?

Yes. Switch the preview to Light and every download (background, theme JSON and PBIP) comes in that version. The layout is identical; the page, card and text colours are re-solved for a light page, and the accent, status and data colours keep their hues but are adjusted until text meets WCAG AA (4.5:1) and chart colours reach 3:1 against the cards.

How do I use the background image in Power BI Desktop?

Select the page, open Format page → Canvas background, choose Browse and pick the PNG, then set Image fit to Fill and transparency to 0%. Give your visuals a transparent background and no border so the designed panels show through.

Can I open the PBIP project in Power BI Desktop?

Yes. PBIR is the default report format in Power BI Desktop since September 2026, and the download is a PBIP project: unzip it and open the .pbip file, select Refresh once and the sample data loads into visuals that are already bound (the empty PBIP leaves the containers unbound for your own data). Microsoft still lists projects and TMDL as preview features (as of Nov 2026), so if Desktop won't open it, enable them under File → Options and settings → Options → Preview features.

Build guides for this dashboard

Guides to the same dashboard job: which custom visuals it needs, the DAX behind them and prompts to generate them.

KPI cards for this layout

Headline numbers drawn by one DAX SVG measure each, for the Card visual or a table row.

Designs made for this template’s KPI slots: Neon revenue card. Browse all styles in the KPI card gallery or build your own in the SVG measure builder.

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Make the Energy Consumption template yours

Swap in your brand colours and logo, move panels, add icons and generate missing visuals with AI, then export the background, theme JSON and PBIP project.

Open in the design studio →Browse templates

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