Central Oregon’s growth story runs through Redmond. The city added more than 8,000 residents between 2020 and 2025, pushing past 40,000 people and cementing its role as the commercial services hub for Deschutes County’s east side. That population growth brought new retail, medical, and hospitality construction — and it also means Redmond’s inventory of commercial buildings at or above 35,000 square feet has expanded faster than most property owners realize. Under Oregon’s Building Performance Standard (ORS 330-300), every one of those buildings faces a 2028 Tier 1 compliance deadline requiring an ASHRAE Level 2 energy audit and Energy Use Intensity (EUI) benchmarking. Redmond building owners who haven’t started that process are already behind a timeline that runs 12–18 months from first utility pull to ODOE submission.

The 2028 Deadline and Redmond’s Building Stock

Redmond’s commercial property base is younger on average than what you find in Salem or Eugene — a lot of the larger buildings went up after 2000, during the Central Oregon construction boom. Younger doesn’t mean compliant. A 2005-vintage retail building with standard-efficiency rooftop units, minimal insulation upgrades, and T8 fluorescent lighting still runs an EUI well above the BPS target for its category. And Redmond’s high-desert climate — 6,200+ heating degree days annually, roughly 40% more than Portland — means heating loads dominate energy consumption in ways that western Oregon buildings don’t face.

Here’s where Redmond’s covered buildings concentrate:

South US-97 corridor. The commercial strip along South Highway 97 from Yew Avenue to the Redmond city limits is the densest concentration of large-format retail in the region outside Bend. Big-box retailers, grocery anchors, auto dealerships with large service facilities, and restaurant pads line both sides of the highway. Several individual buildings and multi-tenant retail centers exceed 35,000 sq ft. Retail EUI in this corridor typically runs 75–120 kBtu/sq ft/year — 20–50 kBtu above target.

Redmond Airport (RDM) area and industrial parks. Roberts Field has grown from a small regional airport to Central Oregon’s primary commercial airport, and the surrounding area includes industrial, warehouse, and aviation-related buildings. The airport industrial area east of Highway 97 houses manufacturing, distribution, and flex-space buildings that frequently exceed 50,000 sq ft. Warehouse EUI is lower than retail or office — typically 35–65 kBtu/sq ft/year — but the sheer square footage means total energy consumption is substantial.

Canal Boulevard and downtown Redmond. Redmond’s downtown core along 6th Street and the adjacent Canal Boulevard medical and office corridor include aging commercial buildings alongside newer medical office construction tied to St. Charles Health System’s expansion. Medical office EUI runs 100–155 kBtu/sq ft/year, driven by ventilation requirements, medical equipment loads, and extended operating hours.

Hospitality cluster near the Deschutes County Fairgrounds. Hotels and extended-stay properties serving the fairgrounds, regional events, and Bend-area tourism occupy the 35,000+ sq ft category more often than owners expect — a 100-room hotel with conference facilities, a pool, and commercial kitchen easily hits 45,000–60,000 sq ft. Hotel EUI in Central Oregon runs 80–130 kBtu/sq ft/year, with heating loads spiking during the October–March season.

Redmond BPS Snapshot

Data Point	Detail
City population (2025 est.)	~41,000
County	Deschutes
Electric utility	Pacific Power
Gas utility	Cascade Natural Gas
Average commercial electricity rate	~$0.105/kWh (Pacific Power Schedule 23)
Heating degree days (annual)	~6,200 HDD (high-desert climate)
Estimated covered buildings (35,000+ sq ft)	20–35 properties
Key commercial areas	S Highway 97 corridor, airport industrial area, Canal Blvd medical/office, downtown 6th Street
Tier 1 deadline	2028
Tier 2 deadline (20,000+ sq ft)	2030 (anticipated)

The climate data matters more for Redmond than for most Oregon cities. At 3,077 feet elevation with cold, dry winters and warm summers, Redmond’s heating season starts earlier and ends later than the Willamette Valley. Buildings here burn more natural gas (Cascade Natural Gas, not NW Natural like the valley) and run heat pumps or electric resistance heating harder through November to March. That extended heating season inflates EUI and makes the BPS target harder to hit without addressing envelope performance — insulation, window assemblies, air sealing — alongside mechanical system upgrades.

How Compliance Works for Redmond Properties

The BPS compliance pathway is identical statewide under ODOE administration, but Redmond’s specifics create a few differences worth understanding before you start:

Step 1: Utility data collection (months 1–2). Pull 12 consecutive months of Pacific Power electric bills and Cascade Natural Gas statements for every meter serving the building. Redmond’s utility landscape is different from the Willamette Valley — Pacific Power instead of PGE, Cascade Natural Gas instead of NW Natural. Your auditor needs to be comfortable working with both providers’ billing formats and rate structures.

Step 2: ASHRAE Level 2 energy audit (months 3–5). A qualified auditor conducts a detailed on-site assessment of every major energy system: HVAC (including heat pumps, gas furnaces, and evaporative cooling systems common in Central Oregon), lighting, building envelope, plug loads, and any process loads like commercial kitchens or refrigeration. The audit produces Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) with projected savings, implementation costs, and payback periods. Redmond audit costs range from $15,000 to $35,000 flat fee depending on building size and system complexity.

Step 3: EUI benchmarking (months 5–6). Enter your utility data into ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to calculate your kBtu/sq ft/year. This single number determines where you stand against the BPS target for your building type. Redmond buildings often benchmark higher than comparable buildings in Portland or Eugene because of the climate — a 50,000 sq ft Redmond office building running at 105 kBtu/sq ft/year isn’t necessarily worse-managed than a Portland office at 85 kBtu; it’s heating against 6,200 HDD instead of 4,400.

Step 4: Gap analysis and implementation (months 6–18). Compare benchmarked EUI to your building type’s target. If you’re above — and most Redmond buildings audited for the first time will be — implement ECMs from your audit report in priority order. ODOE evaluates whether you’re on a credible improvement pathway, not just whether you’ve already hit target on day one.

For a full walkthrough of what happens during the on-site audit, read our ASHRAE Level 2 energy audit explainer.

EUI Benchmarks for Redmond Building Types

Central Oregon’s climate pushes EUI higher across all building categories compared to western Oregon. These ranges reflect what we see for Deschutes County commercial properties served by Pacific Power and Cascade Natural Gas.

Building Type	Typical Redmond EUI (kBtu/sq ft/yr)	Target EUI Range	Typical Gap
Retail (big-box and strip center)	75–120	55–70	20–50 kBtu
Office (2000s construction)	85–110	58–72	27–38 kBtu
Medical/dental office	100–155	70–90	30–65 kBtu
Hotel/hospitality	80–130	60–80	20–50 kBtu
Warehouse with office component	35–65	28–42	7–23 kBtu
Grocery/supermarket	155–230	100–140	55–90 kBtu

Notice the hotel/hospitality line — Redmond and the broader Bend-Redmond metro depend heavily on tourism, and hospitality properties carry a unique compliance profile. Seasonal occupancy swings, pool and spa heating loads, commercial kitchen energy, and 24/7 common-area conditioning all push EUI well above standard office or retail targets. If you own a hotel or resort property in the area, see our hotel energy compliance guide for building-type-specific strategies.

Energy Trust Incentives in Redmond

Redmond falls within Pacific Power’s service territory, which means building owners qualify for Energy Trust of Oregon programs — the same incentive pool available to Portland-metro and Willamette Valley properties.

Audit cost offset. Energy Trust reimburses up to 50% of a qualifying ASHRAE Level 2 audit cost. For a $25,000 Redmond audit, that’s up to $12,500 back — reducing your out-of-pocket to $12,500 for a report that maps your entire compliance pathway. The audit must meet ASHRAE Standard 100 scope requirements, which any BPS-compliant audit already does.

Capital improvement incentives. When you implement ECMs from your audit — rooftop unit replacements, VFD installations on air handlers, LED retrofits, envelope improvements, controls upgrades — Energy Trust provides per-measure incentives typically covering 20–40% of project costs. A Redmond retail property investing $120,000 in HVAC and lighting improvements could receive $24,000–$48,000 in Energy Trust incentives.

Combined savings. Stack Energy Trust incentives with the federal 179D Commercial Buildings Energy Efficiency Tax Deduction (up to $5.00/sq ft for qualifying improvements under the Inflation Reduction Act), and the net cost of compliance drops significantly. A 50,000 sq ft Redmond building implementing $150,000 in ECMs could net $37,500–$75,000 in Energy Trust incentives plus up to $250,000 in 179D deductions. Work with your CPA and auditor to capture both.

Building Types We Serve in Redmond

We provide ASHRAE Level 2 compliance audits and annual BPS benchmarking for commercial properties throughout the Redmond market:

Retail centers and big-box stores along South Highway 97 — high lighting and HVAC loads compounded by Redmond’s extreme heating season and summer cooling demands
Hotels and hospitality properties serving Bend-Redmond tourism, the Deschutes County Fairgrounds, and Central Oregon events — seasonal occupancy patterns and specialized mechanical systems requiring targeted audit approaches
Medical and dental offices along Canal Boulevard and near St. Charles Redmond — elevated ventilation, equipment, and extended-hours loads driving EUI 40–80% above standard office benchmarks
Warehouse and industrial buildings in the airport industrial area — large-footprint properties where attached office space triggers BPS coverage for the entire building
Office buildings in downtown Redmond and the Highway 97 corridor — including both older construction and post-2000 buildings that still fall short of BPS targets
Grocery and food service — refrigeration-intensive operations requiring specialized audit modeling for process loads that standard HVAC-focused audits miss

For more on how different building categories approach BPS compliance, see our posts on retail building compliance, office building BPS, and industrial/warehouse compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my Redmond building covered by Oregon’s BPS?

If your commercial building in Redmond has a gross floor area of 35,000 square feet or more, it’s a Tier 1 covered building under ORS 330-300 with a 2028 compliance deadline. Gross floor area includes all enclosed space measured from exterior wall faces — mechanical rooms, stairwells, storage, lobbies, everything. Buildings between 20,000 and 34,999 sq ft fall under anticipated Tier 2 with a 2030 deadline.

Does Redmond’s climate affect my BPS compliance?

Significantly. Redmond’s 6,200+ annual heating degree days — roughly 40% more than Portland — mean your building consumes more energy for heating, which inflates your EUI. The BPS framework accounts for climate zone, but buildings in Central Oregon still need to work harder on envelope performance and heating efficiency to close the gap. An ASHRAE Level 2 audit models these climate-specific loads and identifies the highest-ROI improvements for high-desert conditions.

What utility providers serve Redmond commercial buildings?

Pacific Power provides electricity and Cascade Natural Gas provides gas service in Redmond. Both are different from the Willamette Valley’s typical PGE/NW Natural combination. Your auditor should be familiar with Pacific Power’s rate schedules and Cascade Natural Gas billing to accurately model energy costs and savings. Buildings in Pacific Power territory qualify for Energy Trust of Oregon incentives covering up to 50% of audit costs.

How much does a BPS audit cost in Redmond?

ASHRAE Level 2 audits for Redmond commercial buildings typically range from $15,000 to $35,000 flat fee, depending on building size, system complexity, and the number of energy systems involved. A straightforward 40,000 sq ft retail building is toward the lower end. A 90,000 sq ft hotel with pool facilities, commercial kitchen, and multiple HVAC zones is toward the upper end. Energy Trust incentives can cut your net cost by up to 50%.

Redmond Building Owners: Your 2028 Timeline Is Shorter Than It Looks

Here’s the math. It’s May 2026. The 2028 deadline is roughly 20 months away. An ASHRAE Level 2 audit takes 3–5 months once your auditor starts — and qualified auditors serving Central Oregon are booking 6–10 weeks out as demand increases statewide. Add 2 months for utility data collection on the front end and 6–12 months for implementing capital improvements on the back end. If you start today, you’re working within a realistic but tight window. If you wait until fall, you’re gambling on everything going perfectly — no permitting delays, no contractor scheduling gaps, no unexpected findings during the audit.

We provide flat-fee ASHRAE Level 2 compliance audits for Redmond commercial buildings and properties throughout Deschutes County. No hourly billing. You get a complete audit report with your baseline EUI, target gap analysis, prioritized ECM recommendations with costs and payback periods, and a written compliance pathway ready for ODOE submission.

Schedule your compliance audit and find out exactly where your Redmond building stands before the 2028 deadline decides for you.

Need ongoing compliance tracking after your audit? Our annual BPS benchmarking service handles utility data collection, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager updates, annual ODOE submissions, and year-over-year EUI monitoring — so you stay compliant without adding another recurring task to your operations.

Set up annual benchmarking and keep your Redmond building on track year after year.

Redmond Building Performance Standard