Rubenstein Partners is an industry-leading, vertically-integrated real estate owner and operator. For the last 20 years they’ve invested in commercial real estate for some of the nation’s preeminent public and private pension funds, university endowments and family offices. The firm invests in office buildings, developing tremendous expertise in office building operational best practices and emerging trends. Rubenstein specializes in acquiring, improving, and exiting value-add office properties across major U.S. markets. Their approach is methodical: acquire underperforming buildings, execute a strategic repositioning plan, and deliver stabilized, high-performing assets to institutional buyers.
Challenge
Before adopting Measurabl, Rubenstein’s energy management strategy and practices lagged behind. Engineers and property managers were still relying on manual processes to track energy use, enter data into ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, and prepare compliance documentation. Engineers physically walked buildings to collect tenant meter readings, wrote them down, passed them off to assistant property managers, and manually created invoices instead of focusing on managing performance. Like many in the industry, the data collection and monitoring processes were fragmented, inefficient, unsustainable at scale, and prone to delays and errors, making it difficult to validate energy budgets, communicate with tenants, or optimize consumption in real time.
“Energy is one of the largest operating expenses in office buildings. But too often, our teams were bogged down in data entry and meter readings instead of actively managing performance.There are
countless instances where, through this program, we have identified issues undetectable through previous means.”– Salvatore Dragone, Principal and Director of Property Management
At a moment when sustainability reporting, regulatory compliance, and cost control were becoming more critical, Rubenstein needed a smarter, more scalable approach to managing energy across its growing portfolio.
Solution
In 2018, Rubenstein Partners adopted Measurabl’s Optimize product to enable a new portfolio-wide energy management strategy. The platform offered an integrated, intelligent solution: centralized data infrastructure, automated compliance, real-time monitoring, and proactive optimization support.
This partnership transformed energy management from a time-consuming task into a strategic lever for value creation. Rubenstein established a scalable, four-step framework that empowered its teams to make data-driven decisions while saving time and resources.
1: Centralize Data
To get a complete view of energy use at each property, Rubenstein needed to centralize data from three core sources: utility bills, utility meters, and tenant submeters. Previously, each stream was tracked manually by different team members, creating inefficiencies and inconsistencies across the portfolio. With Measurabl, all three data sources were integrated into one platform—automatically—giving teams unified visibility and reducing time spent on data collection.
2: Benchmarking & Compliance
Once the data was centralized, Rubenstein used Measurabl to automate energy use reporting to ENERGY STAR and meet local benchmarking requirements. This not only streamlined compliance workflows but also allowed property managers to monitor scores consistently across all assets. The platform provided an easy way to identify which buildings were performing well and which required attention, helping the team prioritize time and resources more effectively.
3: Real-Time Energy Monitoring
With automated data feeds and standardized reporting in place, the next step in the strategy was real-time energy monitoring. Using interval data from both main utility and tenant submeters, Measurabl mapped electricity usage trends across the portfolio. By overlaying leasing hours and operating schedules, the platform helped uncover inefficiencies and surface anomalies in real time. This proactive visibility enabled property teams to take corrective action quickly and reduced reliance on reactive maintenance.
4: Implement Optimization Strategies
Building engineers, supported by a dedicated Measurabl Energy Advisor, began using the platform’s analytics to fine-tune equipment schedules and stagger system start-up times to avoid peak demand charges. The team also relied on the platform to validate savings and ensure energy demand stayed within target thresholds. In parallel, tenant utility billing was automated—improving billing accuracy and equipping property teams with the tools to support tenant inquiries with verified usage data.
Results: Quantified Savings, Tangible Asset Value
Currently, Measurabl supports Rubenstein Partners with a full suite of services, including:
- Quarterly strategy reviews to discuss identified energy savings opportunities and review energy management best practices
- Automated tenant billing, reducing site team workload and improving rent statement accuracy
- ENERGY STAR certification and local ordinance compliance managed annually
- Annual energy budgets updated up to four times per year
Since adopting Measurabl in 2020*, Rubenstein has achieved significant gains across operational efficiency, cost savings, regulatory compliance, and investor transparency.
Highlights include achieving:
- 25% increase in portfolio average ENERGY STAR Score
- Increased number of ENERGY STAR Certified buildings from 10 to 24
- 100% of buildings in compliance with local energy regulation
- $629K total energy cost savings to date
*March 2020-May 2025
“I feel comfortable knowing that when I discuss the performance of these buildings, I can show the owner everything we’ve tracked. There’s real value in showing we’ve taken care of the building, reduced energy use, and proactively managed the utility expenses.”
– Salvatore Dragone, Principal and Director of Property Management, Rubenstein Partners
Beyond aggregate results, real-time monitoring with Measurabl also uncovered hidden inefficiencies—known as “measures”—which are specific operational issues within a building that, if addressed, can lead to meaningful energy and cost savings.
At 1300 Morris Drive in Chesterbrook, PA, for example, the team detected a significant energy spike due to a rogue RTU running overnight. Fixing it saved nearly $5,000. At another site, 1165 Sanctuary in Alpharetta, GA, a mistimed freeze protection system (designed to prevent pipes from freezing) triggered early start-ups; recalibrating the sensor avoided roughly $6,400 in excess costs.
From Improved Efficiency to Portfolio Value
What began as an efficiency initiative has evolved into a cornerstone of Rubenstein’s operating strategy. Optimize has become not just a tool for engineers—but a platform for building credibility with capital partners.
For Rubenstein, each energy action is more than a cost-saving measure—it’s a value-enhancing proof point that reinforces their reputation for turning underperforming assets into sought-after investments.
“These aren’t just engineering wins. They’re proof points. When it comes time to value a building, I can show everything we’ve done—the data, the history, the actions we’ve taken. That builds real trust with ownership and tenants alike. And at the end of the day, that’s an impact that matters.” – Salvatore Dragone
Accelerate your decarbonization journey with accurate, real-time asset-level performance data using Measurabl Optimize. Get a free demo today.
*Results Methodology: Estimated energy savings are calculated by applying each building’s blended electricity rate to the difference between actual metered energy use and the recommended use profile. This variance is then projected over a forecast window of 30–60 days. The selected durations reflect historic Measurabl customer data, which indicate the typical time required for issue identification and corrective action if measures had not been flagged by the software. Results cover the time period of March 2020 to May 2025.
