Montgomery Park is one of Portland’s most iconic commercial buildings, spanning 850,540 square feet and housing approximately 26 tenants with more than 3,000 occupants on a typical workday. MacDonald-Miller partnered with the ownership team to deliver a large-scale HVAC modernization and energy efficiency upgrade that significantly improved comfort, performance, and operational control without requiring additional capital expenditures.

The project was funded through Energy Trust of Oregon incentives and utility bill savings from prior lighting upgrades, allowing the building’s mechanical systems to be overhauled with long-term efficiency in mind. MacDonald-Miller’s scope included:

Mechanical Upgrades – Replacement of aging infrastructure with two new cooling towers and heat exchangers that provide 25% greater capacity.

Condenser Pumps – Installation of two 100-horsepower VFD-controlled condenser pumps, supply fan variable frequency drives (VFDs), and variable fan speed Catalyst systems on all large tonnage heat pumps.

Building Controls – Enhanced automation now allows facilities staff to shut down non-essential HVAC units during unoccupied hours, reducing energy use and operational wear.

Through these upgrades, Montgomery Park achieved an annual energy savings of 2,475,000 kWh. Since 2010, total energy consumption has dropped from 1.3 million kWh per month to 0.9 million kWh, a 33% reduction in overall energy use.