Taylor Farms, Salinas, Calif., shared its success in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a direct result of its use of innovative renewable and alternative energy sources nationwide.

Through a combination of solar, wind, fuel cells and cogeneration, Taylor Farms reduced 12,190 metric tons of CO2 emissions over the course of the year, a 94% increase from 2017, which is equivalent to the GHG emissions from 2,588 vehicles driven for one year.

Advanced water efficient wash tanks, waste reduction and recycling, food waste diversion programs and educational curriculums are in place across all facilities to ensure sustainable practices run through all aspects of the company. Taylor Farms was also dubbed as the first in the fresh food industry to achieve TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Platinum Zero Waste Certification, diverting over 94% of materials from landfill, incinerators and the environment.

“It’s very exciting to be see this amount of positive environmental impact growth within one year,” says Nicole Flewell, director of sustainability. “There’s so much enthusiasm internally with our team members and externally with our partners, customers and consumers around our environmental sustainability initiatives. We’re continuing to evolve our sustainability program with a focus on resource conservation across our facilities nationwide.” 

Taylor Farms currently utilizes four different types of renewable and alternative energy systems to power operations with clean energy:

Solar

·         Five solar arrays at Taylor Farms’ facilities in Salinas; Gonzales, Calif.; Tracy, Calif.; Smyrna, Tenn.; and Dallas, Texas, total over 18 acres of solar panels and generate 7.3 million kWh/year. This is equivalent to taking 1,096 cars off the road each year. 

Wind turbine

·         Taylor Farms’ wind turbine generates 3.8 million kWh/year of clean energy and offsets 15% of annual power needs at the Gonzales facility. This is equivalent to 328 homes’ energy use per year.

Cogeneration

·         The Concentric Power Cogeneration plant is a natural gas-powered engine that provides firm energy to offset 64% of annual energy usage at the Gonzales facility. When combined with power from solar and wind, the facility’s annual energy usage is offset by over 90%. The GHG emissions saved directly from the cogeneration plant is equivalent to taking 734 cars off the road or 414 homes’ annual energy use. 

Fuel cells

·         The Bloom Energy Fuel Cells at the Salinas site generates firm power with each kilowatt hour 21% cleaner than the traditional utility grid. The GHG emissions saved is equivalent to taking 163 cars off the road each year.

“The trailblazing team at Taylor Farms continues to impress with their sustainable energy goals and creative approach to transitioning completely off-the-grid, while shrinking their environmental footprint,” says Brian Curtis, founder and CEO for Concentric Power, Campbell, Calif. “It’s been an honor to be part of their renewable energy solutions, providing cogeneration as a consistent and flexible capacity for firm power generation.”