The City of Albuquerque has received an award for Institutional Energy Management from the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), a city press release said. The award is given to entities that have showcased exceptional dedication to advancing energy engineering and management principles on both national and global levels.

“We’re encouraged by the progress we’ve made to become an international leader in sustainability,” Albuquerque's Energy and Sustainability Manager, Saif Ismail, is quoted as saying in the release. “By tracking our energy use, we are better able to save taxpayer dollars and find opportunities to create a more sustainable and energy-efficient future for Albuquerque.”

"The city’s Energy and Sustainability Management Division (ESMD) is responsible for managing electric, gas, and water consumption as well as renewable energy production for the entire city footprint," the release said. "This includes tracking nearly 700 city buildings, over 4,818 metered utility accounts, 38 solar sites, nine battery installations, and 56 building management systems. Savings associated with ESMD’s current initiatives, including major solar installations, total about $7.52 million per year."

In August 2022, the Energy and Sustainability Management Division (ESMD) introduced a new software tool, the Balanced Resource Acquisition Information Network (BRAIN) software tool, which collects monthly utility usage and billing information, solar production data, and live building systems data within one platform. Employing automated analytics, this tool proficiently monitors and pinpoints instances of excessive usage, underperformance, and anomalies. It notifies city personnel in real time and meticulously records and visualizes cumulative savings across utilities, including electricity, gas, water, and solar sources, the release said.