Can a chip be healthier for the planet?

At Frito-Lay, we believe we can make delicious snacks and be respectful to the environment.

SUN CHIPS® Snacks are made in eight plants across America. This year, at our production facility in Modesto California, we made the exciting step forward to harness the power of the sun and use renewable energy to help make SUN CHIPS®. With over 54,000 sq feet of concave mirrors and 192 solar collectors, our solar field is a small step towards caring for our planet.

So how do we use the sun's rays to help make our chips? Simply put, the mirrors in our solar field concentrate the sun’s heat onto water tubes. This superheats the water inside to generate steam, which heats the cooking oil we use to make delicious SUN CHIPS®. By using solar energy in place of natural gas, we will avoid more than 1.7 million pounds of CO2 emissions every year. And our collectors produce enough steam here to help make 145,000 bags of SUN CHIPS® every day.

So how do we use the sun’s rays to help make our chips? Simply put, the mirrors in our solar field concentrate the sun’s heat onto water tubes. This superheats the water inside to generate steam, which heats the cooking oil we use to make delicious SUN CHIPS®. By using solar energy in place of natural gas, we will avoid more than 1.7 million pounds of CO2 emissions every year. And our collectors produce enough steam here to help make 145,000 bags of SUN CHIPS® every day.

The launch of this innovative new facility is part of an ambitious energy saving program started in 1999. We hope it inspires individuals and other businesses to join us in taking small steps towards a healthier planet.