AESSEAL wins prestigious ‘Thomas B. Ballard Award’ for leadership in Tennessee
The Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award annually honors one of the biggest champions for sustainable energy in the state.
The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC) awarded AESSEAL Inc. North American Headquarters with the 2024 Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award for its groundbreaking solar and storage project, which exemplifies leadership in advancing Tennessee’s clean energy economy.
Each year, TAEBC presents the award to a state or local leader who exemplifies the tireless work of Tom Ballard, the editor of teknovation.biz, and Chief Alliance Officer for PYA. He has been an unparalleled leader, educator, mentor, and advocate of Tennessee’s advanced energy economy through all three of his careers – PYA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK).
Ballard was unable to attend the TAEBC “Opportunities in Energy” event, but left a video message for attendees. He spoke of his role as a founding member of the TAEBC, alongside Cortney Piper.
The supporting sponsor, Solar Alliance, presented Chris Staackmann, Head of Operations for AESSEAL Inc. North American Headquarters, with the award at the 11th Annual “Opportunities in Energy” event held on Tuesday, November 19.
TAEBC said AESSEAL was selected for the award based on its pioneering solar and storage sustainable manufacturing project, which is headquartered in Rockford.
It is one of the first large-scale solar and storage installations for private industry use in the state. AESSEAL partnered with Solar Alliance to build a cutting-edge solar and energy storage system. This project boosts energy resilience and maximizes the use of clean energy. The 526-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system, paired with a 500-kilowatt battery system, provides backup power and increases the self-consumption of the solar energy generated onsite for the entire 50,000 square-foot AESSEAL facility.
“Chris has shown exceptional leadership in driving this project, fostering education within the manufacturing community, and working closely with local stakeholders and economic development leaders in Blount County. Solar Alliance was honored to serve as a partner in this project which supports the local East Tennessee workforce while benefiting employees and customers throughout North America,” said Jon Hamilton, the US General Manager of Solar Alliance.
AESSEAL Inc. is a global industrial equipment supplier for the design and manufacture of mechanical seals and support systems, serves a wide range of industries by helping partners improve efficiency and meet sustainability goals. AESSEAL’s parent company has already surpassed Net Zero in its global operations, and this project extends their ambitious sustainability goals to their U.S. facilities.
The company’s mechanical seal solutions are also designed to promote water and energy conservation, reduce CO2 emissions, and lower industrial maintenance costs.
“Thank you to TAEBC for this recognition, and to Solar Alliance for their outstanding work in designing and installing the solar array,” said Staackmann. “As a global manufacturing business, we recognize that a scope of our operations has consequences for the environment around us. That’s why we’re thrilled this project will be able to power our company’s operations with renewable energy, and position AESSEAL as a model for other manufacturers in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) region.”
With this innovative project, AESSEAL not only strengthens its position as a global sustainability leader but also sets a benchmark for manufacturers across the Tennessee Valley Authority region to follow in adopting clean energy solutions.
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