Towards the Optimization of Sustainable Food-Energy-Water Systems: A Stochastic Approach

To determine the influence of each component of the energy-water-food nexus on a system’s output and identify the weakest link of the system (e.g., water scarcity, energy shortage or inconsistent supply of food), the authors of this paper use a quantitative model to calculate the total cost of sustainable energy-water-food nexus systems. The impact of each design decision variable (e.g. size of the system, water recycling capacity, solar system) on the system’s output is formulated and then optimized.