Water Energy Nexus at a California Tomato Processing Facility

A Water Energy Nexus assessment at a California tomato processing facility reveals opportunities to advance corporate sustainability objectives by enhancing thermal energy efficiency, reducing electricity consumption, and conserving ground water resources. The adoption of energy efficiency measures and water recovery recommendations will deliver economic benefits from reduced energy costs, lower air pollution emissions, preservation of ground water resources, and reduced discharge of waste water to the environment. A base line is developed to account for the water energy intensity of processing tomatoes at this facility. This base line will be used to compare the economic and environmental benefits of adopting resource efficiency measures. Food companies that adopt tangible resource conservation and efficiency improvements can attribute sustainability principles to long term water and energy conservation investments.