Between Newberg’s wine industry headquarters and Forest Grove’s university campus, the western edge of the Portland metro contains a commercial building stock that most BPS conversations skip over entirely. These aren’t Portland. They aren’t Salem. They sit in the gap — Newberg anchoring the eastern end of Yamhill County’s wine economy, Forest Grove anchoring the western reach of Washington County’s suburban growth — and both carry enough 35,000+ sq ft commercial buildings to create a real compliance workload under ORS 330-300. The 2028 Tier 1 deadline applies here exactly the same way it applies in downtown Portland or along Lancaster Drive in Salem. Every covered building needs an ASHRAE Level 2 energy audit, an EUI baseline entered into ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, and a documented compliance pathway filed with ODOE.

What makes this market different from the rest of the metro is the mix. Newberg’s commercial base includes university buildings, medical facilities, wine production and hospitality properties, and a retail corridor along Portland Road and Highway 99W that serves as the commercial spine for a 25,000-person city pulling shoppers from Dundee, Dayton, and the surrounding agricultural communities. Forest Grove — 15 miles northwest — carries Pacific University’s campus footprint, a healthcare cluster around Tuality (now OHSU Health) facilities, manufacturing and light industrial properties, and its own 99W retail corridor serving 26,000 residents plus the rural communities stretching toward the coast.

Where Covered Buildings Sit in Each City

Newberg

Highway 99W and Portland Road corridor. Newberg’s primary commercial strip runs along 99W from the Springbrook Road intersection east through the downtown core and continues along Portland Road toward Dundee. Fred Meyer, Grocery Outlet, the Newberg Village Shopping Center, auto dealerships, and the building supply retailers along this stretch include multiple structures past the 35,000 sq ft threshold. Retail EUI in this corridor typically runs 70–105 kBtu/sq ft/year against a target band of 55–70 — older HVAC systems, inconsistent lighting retrofits, and single-pane storefront glazing are the recurring issues.

George Fox University. The university’s main campus in central Newberg includes academic buildings, residence halls, the Hoover Academic Building, Lemmons Center, and athletic facilities — several of which individually exceed 35,000 sq ft. Institutional EUI for university buildings in this climate zone runs 72–110 kBtu/sq ft/year. GFU is the largest single property holder in Newberg likely to carry multiple covered buildings.

Providence Newberg Medical Center and medical offices. The hospital campus on Villa Road and the surrounding medical office buildings represent the highest per-square-foot EUI concentration in the city. Hospital buildings run 140–195 kBtu/sq ft/year; medical offices 95–140 kBtu/sq ft/year. Ventilation requirements, 24/7 operations, and specialized equipment loads push these buildings well above the commercial average.

Wine industry production and hospitality. The Chehalem Mountains AVA and Willamette Valley wine corridor converge around Newberg. Larger production facilities — Rex Hill, Adelsheim, A to Z Wineworks — include warehouse and production buildings that cross the threshold when office, tasting room, and production space combine. Wine barrel storage with climate control, fermentation temperature management, and tasting room HVAC create unique energy profiles that don’t match standard warehouse benchmarks.

Forest Grove

Pacific University campus. Pacific’s 60-acre campus includes multiple covered buildings: the Berglund Center, the Health Professions Campus, McCready Hall, athletic facilities, and residence halls that exceed 35,000 sq ft individually. University buildings carry EUI profiles of 70–108 kBtu/sq ft/year, driven by laboratory ventilation, computing loads, and older mechanical systems in buildings that predate 1990.

OHSU Health Forest Grove (formerly Tuality Healthcare). The hospital and medical office campus along 19th Avenue represents the densest energy consumption per square foot in Forest Grove. Hospital EUI in this market runs 135–190 kBtu/sq ft/year, with the medical office park adding another 8–12 covered buildings in the 95–135 kBtu range.

Highway 47 and Pacific Avenue commercial corridor. Forest Grove’s retail and service commercial inventory runs along Pacific Avenue through downtown and north on Highway 47 toward Banks. Bi-Mart, Safeway, the Forest Grove Town Center, and light industrial buildings along Gales Creek Road include structures above the threshold.

Manufacturing and industrial. Forest Grove’s western edge includes manufacturing facilities — from food processing to electronics assembly — that carry office-warehouse combinations above 35,000 sq ft. Industrial EUI profiles vary wildly depending on process loads, but the office and warehouse components are benchmarked separately under BPS methodology.

Newberg & Forest Grove BPS Snapshot

Data Point	Newberg	Forest Grove
Population (2025 est.)	~25,000	~26,000
County	Yamhill	Washington
Electric utility	PGE	PGE
Gas utility	NW Natural	NW Natural
Avg. commercial electricity rate	~$0.097/kWh (PGE Schedule 32)	~$0.097/kWh (PGE Schedule 32)
Heating degree days (annual)	~4,400 HDD	~4,500 HDD
Cooling degree days (annual)	~350 CDD	~320 CDD
Estimated Tier 1 buildings (35,000+ sq ft)	15–25	18–30
Primary building types	University, hospital, retail, wine production	University, hospital, retail, manufacturing
Distance to Portland	25 miles SW	25 miles W
Tier 1 deadline	2028	2028
Tier 2 deadline (20,000+ sq ft)	2030 (anticipated)	2030 (anticipated)

Both cities sit in PGE territory with NW Natural gas service — the same utility infrastructure as Portland, Beaverton, and the rest of the northern Willamette Valley. That means Energy Trust of Oregon incentives, rate schedules, and billing formats are identical to what Portland-area auditors work with daily. No utility learning curve, no unfamiliar rebate programs.

The University Factor: Why Campus Buildings Complicate BPS

Newberg and Forest Grove each host a significant university — George Fox (enrollment ~4,200) and Pacific (enrollment ~3,500) — and university buildings create compliance challenges that a standard office or retail audit doesn’t face.

Mixed-use classifications. A single university building might contain classrooms, laboratories, office space, a dining hall, and a data center. Each use type carries a different EUI target, and ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager requires accurate square footage allocation by use type. Miscategorizing a building with a chemistry lab as pure “office” understates the target EUI and creates false compliance — something ODOE will flag during verification.

Seasonal occupancy swings. University buildings operate at full capacity September through May and drop to 30–50% during summer. Annual EUI captures both periods, but the heating-season energy profile — when buildings run at full occupancy with maximum ventilation — determines whether the building meets target. Summer months with reduced loads don’t offset winter performance gaps as much as administrators assume.

Deferred maintenance on aging systems. Both George Fox and Pacific carry buildings from the 1960s–1980s with original or near-original mechanical systems. A 1972 academic building with a central boiler plant, pneumatic controls, and T12 fluorescent lighting benchmarks at 100–125 kBtu/sq ft/year against a target of 55–72. Closing that gap requires capital investment that competes with every other campus priority.

The compliance pathway for university buildings runs through the same ASHRAE Level 2 audit process, but the fieldwork takes longer — more systems, more zones, more use-type documentation. Our flat-fee model covers the full scope regardless of complexity, so universities don’t face hourly billing surprises when the audit runs deeper than expected.

EUI Benchmarks for This Market

These ranges reflect PGE/NW Natural-served buildings in the northern Willamette Valley’s moderate climate — slightly warmer summers than the coast, slightly milder winters than the Cascades.

Building Type	Typical EUI (kBtu/sq ft/yr)	Target EUI Range	Typical Gap
Retail (big-box, strip center)	70–105	55–70	15–35 kBtu
Office (pre-2000 construction)	75–110	58–72	17–38 kBtu
Medical office	95–140	70–90	25–50 kBtu
Hospital	140–195	100–135	40–60 kBtu
University academic	72–110	55–72	17–38 kBtu
University residence hall	65–95	48–65	17–30 kBtu
Wine production/warehouse	35–75	25–42	10–33 kBtu
Hospitality (hotels, event venues)	75–115	58–78	17–37 kBtu

Buildings in the lower end of the typical range may already be close to target — a well-maintained 2010-era office building at 78 kBtu/sq ft/year might need only lighting and controls upgrades to reach 72. Buildings at the upper end — a 1985 hospital running at 190 kBtu or an unrenovated university building at 110 — face 12–18 months of implementation work after the audit identifies where the energy is actually going.

Energy Trust Incentives: Same Programs, Same Dollar Amounts

PGE and NW Natural service means full Energy Trust of Oregon eligibility for every covered building in both cities. The incentive math works out the same as it does in McMinnville or anywhere else in the northern valley:

Audit cost offset. Energy Trust reimburses up to 50% of a qualifying ASHRAE Level 2 audit that meets ASHRAE Standard 100 scope requirements — which every BPS-grade audit automatically satisfies. On a $22,000 flat-fee audit for a 45,000 sq ft retail building, that’s up to $11,000 back, bringing net cost to roughly $11,000 for complete compliance documentation.

Capital improvement incentives. Measure-specific incentives typically cover 20–40% of implementation costs. A Forest Grove medical office investing $120,000 in high-efficiency HVAC replacement, LED lighting with daylight harvesting, and building automation upgrades could recover $24,000–$48,000 through Energy Trust. Layer the federal 179D Commercial Buildings Energy Efficiency Tax Deduction — up to $5.00/sq ft for qualifying improvements — and the financial case for acting now rather than waiting until 2027 gets substantially stronger.

Strategic Energy Management (SEM). For buildings with dedicated facility staff — universities, hospitals, larger retail — Energy Trust’s SEM program provides ongoing coaching and incentives for operational improvements that reduce energy without capital investment. Typical SEM participants see 3–8% energy reductions from scheduling, setpoint, and behavioral changes alone.

The Compliance Timeline for Newberg and Forest Grove Buildings

Starting an audit in mid-2026 leaves roughly 18 months before the Tier 1 deadline — enough time if you start now, uncomfortably tight if you wait another six months.

Months 1–2: Utility data and building classification. Pull 12 consecutive months of PGE electric and NW Natural gas bills for every meter serving the building. Multi-tenant retail properties along 99W in both cities commonly have shared meters requiring disaggregation. Wine production facilities with mixed process and commercial loads need careful metering separation. Start with our building coverage determination guide to confirm Tier 1 or Tier 2 status.

Months 3–5: ASHRAE Level 2 audit. On-site assessment of HVAC, lighting, envelope, domestic hot water, plug loads, and any process loads. Flat-fee audits for buildings in this market run $15,000–$34,000 depending on size and complexity — a straightforward 40,000 sq ft retail building lands around $15,000–$18,000; a 90,000 sq ft hospital or multi-building university campus sits at the upper range. The deliverable is a calibrated energy model, ECM list with projected savings, and a compliance pathway report.

Months 5–6: EUI benchmarking. Utility data goes into ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. The output — a single kBtu/sq ft/year number — establishes where the building stands against its BPS target. Most first-time benchmarks surprise owners with how far above target the building actually sits.

Months 6–18: Implementation. Priority ECMs for buildings in this market typically include high-efficiency rooftop unit or boiler replacements, LED lighting with occupancy and daylight controls, building automation system installation or reprogramming, envelope air sealing on pre-1990 buildings, and domestic hot water improvements. ODOE evaluates whether the building is on a credible compliance trajectory — full target attainment by 2028 isn’t always required if a documented plan and measurable progress appear in the benchmarking record.

Building Types We Serve Across Both Cities

We provide flat-fee ASHRAE Level 2 compliance audits and annual BPS benchmarking for commercial properties throughout Newberg, Forest Grove, and the surrounding communities:

Office buildings along 99W, Portland Road, and Pacific Avenue — from single-story professional offices to multi-tenant commercial complexes
Retail centers including shopping centers, grocery anchors, and standalone big-box stores in both cities
University facilities at George Fox University and Pacific University — academic, residential, athletic, and administrative buildings
Healthcare properties including Providence Newberg Medical Center, OHSU Health Forest Grove, and the medical office clusters surrounding both campuses
Wine production and hospitality facilities in the Chehalem Mountains and Willamette Valley AVAs
Manufacturing and industrial buildings along Forest Grove’s western corridor and Newberg’s industrial parks
Government and institutional buildings including city halls, school district facilities, fire stations, and libraries that cross the 35,000 sq ft threshold

We also serve the communities between and around these cities — Dundee, Carlton, Yamhill, Gaston, Banks, and Cornelius all contain properties that may qualify under Tier 1 or Tier 2. Portfolio owners with buildings across multiple Yamhill County and Washington County locations can run coordinated audits to capture scheduling and data-collection efficiencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my Newberg or Forest Grove building need a BPS audit?

If your commercial building has 35,000 sq ft or more of enclosed gross floor area, yes — it falls under Tier 1 of Oregon’s BPS (ORS 330-300) with a 2028 compliance deadline. Buildings between 20,000 and 34,999 sq ft are anticipated to be covered under Tier 2 with a 2030 deadline. This applies regardless of building age, type, or current energy performance. Use our building coverage guide to check your specific property.

Which utility serves my building, and does it matter for BPS?

Both Newberg and Forest Grove are served by Portland General Electric (PGE) for electricity and NW Natural for gas. This is the same utility territory as Portland, Beaverton, and Hillsboro — meaning your building qualifies for the full suite of Energy Trust of Oregon incentives, including up to 50% reimbursement on ASHRAE Level 2 audit costs.

How much does a compliance audit cost in this area?

Flat-fee ASHRAE Level 2 audits for Newberg and Forest Grove buildings typically run $15,000–$34,000, depending on building size, system complexity, and use type. After Energy Trust reimbursement of up to 50%, net out-of-pocket can drop to $7,500–$17,000. Our pricing page at /pricing breaks down costs by building size tier.

What if my building is close to the 35,000 sq ft threshold?

Gross floor area is measured to include all enclosed space — mechanical rooms, storage, stairwells, and lobbies count. Many buildings owners think are 30,000 sq ft actually exceed 35,000 when all enclosed area is measured per ODOE’s methodology. If you’re within 5,000 sq ft of the threshold, getting a measurement confirmed now avoids a surprise classification in 2027 when audit capacity is fully booked.

Can I audit multiple buildings across both cities in one engagement?

Yes. We routinely run coordinated audits for owners with properties in multiple locations — whether that’s a university campus with several covered buildings, a healthcare system with facilities in both cities, or a commercial portfolio spanning Yamhill and Washington counties. Batching fieldwork reduces per-building cost and produces a unified compliance strategy across the portfolio. Contact us at /contact to scope a multi-building engagement.

Newberg and Forest Grove building owners — the 2028 Tier 1 deadline is less than two years away. Qualified ASHRAE Level 2 auditors are booking 3–5 months out, and that lead time only grows as the deadline approaches. Every month you wait compresses the implementation window for the improvements your building will need after the audit identifies where energy is actually being wasted.

Schedule your compliance audit today. Flat fee, no hourly billing, full BPS compliance documentation. Or if your building has already been audited and you need ongoing EUI tracking and annual ODOE reporting, set up annual benchmarking to stay compliant year over year.

Buildings in McMinnville, Tigard, Hillsboro, and the broader Portland metro are already moving through the audit pipeline. Newberg and Forest Grove properties that start now will have 12+ months for implementation. Properties that wait until 2027 may not find an available auditor.

Newberg & Forest Grove Building Performance Standard