Oregon’s Building Performance Standard: What building owners need to know and how Energy Trust can help

Oregon’s Building Performance Standard: What building owners need to know and how Energy Trust can help

A two?story roadside motel called “Myrtle Trees Motel” sits among tall, leafy trees and landscaped shrubs. The building has a wooden balcony on the upper level and a stone façade on the lower level. A large sign out front reads “Myrtle Trees Motel,” with smaller signs for “No Vacancy,” “Clean Rooms & Scenic Views,” and “AAA Approved.” Several parked cars line the front of the building, and the sky is partly cloudy with patches of blue.

Oregon’s Building Performance Standard (BPS) is a state law designed to reduce energy use in large commercial buildings. If you own or operate a commercial building in Oregon, BPS may apply to you and the time to start preparing is now.

BPS requires many commercial buildings over 20,000 square feet to track, report and reduce energy use to meet specific Energy Use Intensity (EUI) targets. Compliance deadlines begin as early as 2028 and penalties for non-compliance can start at $40,000 per year.

The good news is that Energy Trust of Oregon offers a no-cost offering called BPS Pathway to help building owners and managers understand requirements, plan improvements and take action with expert support and cash incentives.

Does BPS apply to your building?
BPS requirements are based on building size and type and are grouped into two tiers:

  • Tier 1 buildings include hotels, motels and non-residential buildings that are 35,000 square feet or larger
  • Tier 2 buildings include smaller hotels, motels and non-residential buildings that are 20,000 to 34,999 square feet AND schools, multifamily housing (including senior care facilities and dorms), hospitals, barracks, prisons and universities that are 35,000 square feet or larger

Many commercial buildings over 20,000 square feet must complete several steps before their compliance deadline, including benchmarking energy use, reporting data to the state, calculating current EUI and determining the required EUI target. Tier 1 building owners need to submit operation & maintenance and energy management plans by their compliance date and may also be required to complete an energy audit and life cycle cost assessments if they do not meet their target.

If you are unsure whether your building qualifies or what tier it falls into, you can check ODOE’s detailed resource guide or contact ODOE directly.

The first step: Benchmarking your building’s energy use
For most building owners and managers, the first step toward meeting BPS requirements is benchmarking. Benchmarking measures and compares your building’s energy use against similar buildings, your past performance or a reference standard. It creates a clear starting point for understanding how your building is performing today and where improvements can make the biggest impact.

Benchmarking helps you:

  • Understand how your building is performing today
  • Track progress over time
  • Identify opportunities to reduce energy use
  • Build a clear plan to meet BPS requirements

Benchmarking is required under BPS, but it is more than a reporting exercise. With the right support, it becomes a powerful planning tool that can lead to lower energy costs, smarter upgrades and a more efficient building overall.

How Energy Trust’s BPS Pathway helps
Meeting BPS requirements can feel overwhelming, especially if energy management is not your day-to-day focus. That is why Energy Trust developed BPS Pathway, a no-cost, step-by-step offering designed specifically to help Oregon building owners and managers prepare.

Through BPS Pathway, Energy Trust provides:

  • Help determining whether your building qualifies and what requirements apply
  • No-cost benchmarking support with reporting
  • One-on-one coaching from Energy Trust energy experts
  • Tools and templates to plan and track progress toward your EUI target
  • Group workshops and peer learning opportunities
  • Cash incentives for completing qualifying energy-saving actions
  • Guidance with a network of qualified contractors that can help you make equipment upgrades and other energy-saving building improvements

The program follows a clear roadmap, starting with benchmarking and planning, then moving into project implementation and ongoing progress checks. Along the way, building owners and managers receive hands-on guidance and incentives to support real energy savings.

Participating in BPS Pathway can also help building owners and managers avoid potential penalties while lowering operating costs and improving building performance.

Turn BPS readiness into savings
After benchmarking and planning, Energy Trust can help you identify and incentivize energy-saving improvements such as:

  • Lighting and lighting controls upgrades
  • HVAC system tuning and optimization
  • Building automation and controls improvements
  • Insulation and weather sealing
  • High-efficiency equipment upgrades

These improvements not only support BPS requirements but can also reduce energy bills, improve tenant comfort and increase the long-term value of your building.

Get started early and stay ahead
BPS deadlines may feel far away, but early action is key. Getting started now gives you more time to plan, more opportunities to earn incentives and more control over how you meet requirements.

To get started, reach out about joining the next BPS Pathway cohort. Email energymanagement@energytrust.org or call 1.866.605.1676. For more details, visit Energy Trust’s BPS webpage.

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