2016 Air Pollution Control Achievement Awards
Published on October 19, 2016
A clean environment is important to the City of Huntsville. Each year, the Air Pollution Control Board recognizes voluntary efforts to reduce air pollutant emissions by industrial, institutional and commercial facilities within the City. Only those projects which go beyond regulatory requirements for controlling emissions are eligible for recognition.
Mayor Tommy Battle recognized four companies for achieving this goal and one company for its outstanding effort in environmental education. The 2016 Achievement Awards were presented to Northrop Grumman, PPG Aerospace Transparencies, Sanmina, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama. The 2016 Award for Air Quality Education went to the Alabama Center for Sustainable Energy.
Congratulations to these outstanding companies for setting the bar in pollution control and pollution prevention projects.
2016 AWARD RECIPIENTS – EMISSION REDUCTION
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
At their facilities in Cummings Research Park, Northrop Grumman provides engineering and software development services to government agencies and develops and manufactures electronics for guided missiles. In 2015, Northrop Grumman replaced the Computer Room Air Conditioning equipment at their Wynn Drive facility with more efficient units, upgraded the high bay lighting at the facility on Explorer Boulevard and installed automated lighting controls at their facility on Voyager Way. Total energy savings are roughly 215 MWh/yr, enough to power 16 homes in the Huntsville area. (2002, 2008, 2013 and 2014 Award Recipient).
PPG Aerospace Transparencies
PPG manufactures aircraft windshields and cabin windows at their plant in the Chase Industrial Park in Huntsville. In 2015, PPG installed VFD (Variable Frequency Drives) on their chilled water pumps and control valves at the equipment usage points, reducing electricity consumption by 2.4 GWh/yr., the equivalent of powering 143 homes in the Huntsville area. (2015 Award Recipient).
Sanmina Corporation
Sanmina Corporation manufactures electronic products for the defense and medical equipment industries at their plant on South Memorial Parkway in Huntsville. In 2015, Sanmina replaced a wave solder machine with a machine e quipped with a nitrogen blanket. This resulted in a 10 % reduction of VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emissions relative to the older equipment. (2008, 2013 and 2014 Award Recipient).
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama manufactures 4- cylinder, 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder automobile engines at its plant on Cottonvalley Drive in the North Huntsville Industrial Park in Huntsville. In 2015, Toyota replaced the HPS (High Pressure Sodium) streetlights on facility roadways with LED (light Emitting Diode) streetlights reducing electricity usage by 77.5 MWh/ yr., enough to power about 5 homes in the Huntsville area. (2004,2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Award Recipient).
2016 AWARD RECIPIENT – AIR QUALITY EDUCATION
Alabama Center for Sustainable Energy
Alabama Center for Sustainable Energy (ACSE) is a non-profit organization that promotes the use and generation of renewable energy, as well as energy efficiency and conservation. In 2015, ACSE developed a curriculum to educate K-12 students and distributed materials to 10,000 students in North Alabama. They also partnered with James Clemens High School to build a sustainable energy tiny home which will be used in future educational outreach efforts. In addition, they developed classroom solar energy kits, which will be piloted at two area schools in 2016. (First-time Award Recipient).
