Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII) Bundle
Energy Recovery, Inc.'s (ERII) mission to make industrial processes sustainable is clearly a high-stakes financial game, especially when you look at their Q3 2025 revenue of $32.0 million and net income of $3.9 million. That kind of performance, even with the timing-related revenue dip, relies defintely on the core value of 'Innovate for Impact'-it's what drives their proprietary PX Pressure Exchanger technology.
The vision is to be the 'global leader in energy recovery,' but does a compelling strategic narrative actually translate into a defensible competitive moat and sustained shareholder value, or are you just buying a good story? We need to map those foundational principles directly to their cash flow.
Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII) Overview
You're looking for a clear-eyed view of Energy Recovery, Inc.'s fundamentals, and the takeaway is simple: this company is the foundational technology leader in global water desalination, but its near-term financial picture is heavily dependent on project timing and the slower-than-expected rollout of its new CO2 technology.
Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII) has been a quiet powerhouse in energy efficiency technology since its founding in 1992. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, their entire business is built upon a single, proprietary innovation: the PX® Pressure Exchanger® (PX), an energy recovery device (ERD) that recycles up to 98% of the pressure energy from the waste stream in industrial fluid-flow systems.
This core technology has given them a more than 30-year legacy in the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination industry, where the PX device can reduce energy consumption by up to 60%. The company is now applying this platform to new verticals, including industrial wastewater treatment and the emerging CO2 refrigeration market, which uses their PX G1300 device.
Here's the quick math on their recent performance: for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, the company reported total revenue of $68.1 million, a 13% dip compared to the same period in 2024. Still, their trailing twelve months (TTM) revenue as of Q3 2025 was $135.19 million, showing the underlying scale of the business.
- PX: Recovers up to 98% of pressure energy.
- SWRO: Reduces energy use by up to 60%.
- Design Life: A robust 30-year minimum.
Latest Financial Performance and Market Drivers
The latest financial report, for the third quarter of 2025 (Q3 2025), paints a picture of strong underlying profitability masked by revenue timing. Energy Recovery, Inc. reported Q3 2025 revenue of $32.0 million, which was actually a beat on analyst expectations, but still a 17% decrease from the same quarter in 2024. The company's management attributes this decline to the cadence of revenue recognition from large, contracted projects, which often front-load sales into the fourth quarter.
What this estimate hides is the exceptional gross margin, which held strong at 64.2% in Q3 2025, demonstrating the pricing power and low manufacturing cost of the core PX technology. Net income for the quarter was $3.9 million, with adjusted EBITDA coming in at $6.8 million. The balance sheet is defintely solid, with cash and investments totaling $79.9 million.
The desalination business remains the core engine, with major contracts secured in 2025 that confirm its dominance. For instance, the company recently announced contracts totaling approximately $31 million for PX devices in the Gulf region, expected to be fulfilled by the end of Q4 2025. Plus, another contract award of over $7 million for SWRO projects in Spain is expected to be fulfilled this year. This strong backlog is why the company anticipates generating 55% of its yearly revenues in Q4, which is typical for their business model.
The near-term risk remains the Emerging Technologies segment, specifically the CO2 refrigeration market. While the core desalination and wastewater segments are on track to meet their full-year revenue guidance, the CO2 business is facing a slower rollout than originally hoped, leading to muted expectations and a cut in operational expenses in that segment to protect overall profitability.
Energy Recovery, Inc.'s Industry Leadership
When you look at the energy recovery device market for seawater desalination, Energy Recovery, Inc. is the undisputed leader. They are a trusted global leader in energy efficiency technology, and their PX Pressure Exchanger is the market leader of ERDs in SWRO desalination. Their competitive edge isn't just in efficiency; it's in durability and reliability, offering a 30-year design life with no scheduled maintenance, which is critical for plant operators in harsh, corrosive environments like the Gulf region.
This leadership position is built on a foundation of over 35,000 PX devices deployed globally, saving far more than a trillion gallons of water. The shift toward retrofitting existing desalination plants with their newer devices, like the PX Q300 and the flagship PX Q400, further cements their position, as customers seek to upgrade for better cost savings and environmental impact. They are the gold standard for ERDs in SWRO desalination.
This combination of proprietary technology, a massive installed base, and proven performance in the most mission-critical water applications is why Energy Recovery, Inc. is a company worth a deep dive. If you want to understand the institutional money behind this conviction, you should be Exploring Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?
Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII) Mission Statement
You're looking for the foundational principles that drive a company's day-to-day operations and long-term strategy, and for Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII), that clarity comes from a mission focused on industrial fluid dynamics. The company's mission is to deliver reliable, innovative, and sustainable solutions, creating a positive impact for both our customers and the environment. This statement is more than just corporate language; it's the blueprint guiding every capital allocation decision and R&D dollar spent.
This mission is directly reflected in the company's financial performance through the first nine months of 2025. For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, Energy Recovery reported total revenue of approximately $68.1 million, demonstrating that their core business of providing energy-saving technology remains a significant value driver, even with quarter-to-quarter revenue timing fluctuations.
A solid mission is defintely the compass for growth.
Component 1: Delivering Reliable, High-Performance Customer Value
The first core component is simple: give the customer a product that works, lasts, and saves them money. Energy Recovery achieves this by focusing on the performance and durability of its flagship Pressure Exchanger (PX) devices, which are critical components in industrial processes like seawater desalination.
Their commitment to reliability is quantifiable. In February 2025, the company announced that rigorous internal testing had expanded the design life of its PX Pressure Exchanger components to a remarkable 30 years, a five-year increase from the previous assessment. This extended life directly translates to lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for customers, which is a massive value proposition in infrastructure projects. Also, a key internal metric for quality control is keeping warranty expenses below 1% of total product revenue, a goal the company has consistently met, positioning them in the top quartile of their industry.
- Extend product life to cut customer TCO.
- Maintain warranty costs below 1% of product revenue.
Component 2: Innovative Solutions in Fluid Dynamics
Innovation at Energy Recovery isn't about chasing every new technology; it's about leveraging their proprietary pressure exchanger technology platform to solve major industrial challenges. They are 'Fluid Innovators,' a term that speaks to their expertise in capturing and transferring wasted pressure energy.
The most concrete example is the PX device itself, which is a marvel of engineering that can reduce energy consumption in seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination facilities by up to 60%. This core innovation has allowed the company to expand into new, high-growth markets like industrial wastewater treatment and CO2 refrigeration, which now includes their PX G1300™ device. This strategic expansion is vital, especially when looking at the Q3 2025 results, which showed a net income of $3.9 million, proving that their core business is profitable and provides a stable base for emerging technology investments. Exploring Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?
Component 3: Creating a Positive Environmental and Sustainable Impact
The final, and perhaps most resonant, part of the mission is sustainability. For a company whose products are inherently energy-saving, this means mapping their commercial success directly to global environmental benefits. Their technology is a direct play on the growing worldwide demand for energy-efficient solutions.
Here's the quick math on their impact: the widespread use of Energy Recovery's devices saves customers approximately $7.2 billion in energy costs annually. This massive energy saving translates directly into environmental benefits. The company has set an ambitious goal to double the emissions reductions from the use of their products by the end of 2025, compared to their 2019 baseline. Currently, their products are responsible for avoiding an estimated 22.5 million metric tons of carbon emissions, which is like taking 5 million equivalent vehicles off the road.
This focus on environmental sustainability is a powerful differentiator, giving them a competitive edge as global regulations and corporate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) mandates tighten. For investors, this is a clear signal of a business model aligned with long-term macroeconomic trends.
Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII) Vision Statement
You're looking for the long-term compass of Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII), and the core takeaway is clear: the company is laser-focused on becoming the global leader in sustainable industrial solutions, moving beyond just water desalination. This vision is a direct play on the massive, accelerating demand for energy efficiency across critical infrastructure, and it's what drives their $79.9 million cash and investments war chest as of Q3 2025.
Their vision is to be the global leader in energy recovery devices and solutions, enabling industries to achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency and sustainability. This isn't just a feel-good statement; it maps directly to their strategic expansion into three high-growth, high-margin verticals, often called the 'triple-play.'
Vision: Global Leadership in Sustainable Industrial Solutions
The company's vision is a commitment to dominate the energy recovery landscape, specifically in three key areas: desalination, wastewater treatment, and CO2 refrigeration. This strategy is a smart, trend-aware move to monetize global megatrends like water scarcity and the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Kigali Amendment.
Here's the quick math on the opportunity: the CO2 refrigeration market alone represents a $100+ billion retrofitting opportunity, as industries look for systems that offer up to 30% energy savings over traditional HFCs. To execute this vision, the company set a concrete, near-term goal: to double the emissions reductions from the use of their products by the end of 2025 compared to their 2019 baseline. That's a clear, quantifiable target for a vision of global sustainability leadership.
- Double product emissions reductions by 2025.
- Targeting a $100+ billion CO2 refrigeration market.
- Desalination remains the core, delivering 60% of revenue.
Mission: Innovative, Sustainable, and Reliable Solutions
The mission is the daily action that supports the big vision: to deliver reliable, innovative, and sustainable solutions, creating a positive impact for both customers and the environment. This is where the company's core technology, the PX® Pressure Exchanger (PX), comes in. It's a physical manifestation of their mission, recovering energy from seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) systems with up to 98% energy savings.
Honestly, the PX is the engine. Its dominance is why the company's gross margin remains strong at 64.2% as of Q3 2025, even with revenue volatility due to project timing. The mission is about solving critical industrial fluid processing challenges, and the PX does exactly that by making desalination-a highly energy-intensive process-finally cost-effective and sustainable.
The company's focus on reliability is also evident in their commitment to keep warranty expenses below 1% of total product revenue, a goal they met, positioning them in the top quartile of their industry. That's defintely a strong signal of product quality and customer value.
Core Values: Innovation, Sustainability, and Customer Value
Energy Recovery's operations are guided by three core values: Innovation, Sustainability, and Customer Value. These aren't just posters on a wall; they are the filters for capital allocation and strategic decision-making. For example, the launch of their next-generation PX product in Q2 2025, which promises higher pricing and operational efficiency, is a clear expression of Innovation and Customer Value working together.
The Sustainability value is what ties everything together. It's why they are expanding into wastewater treatment, a $12 billion segment, and why their solutions have collectively saved customers $5.9 billion in energy expenses over time. This focus on environmental impact is a key differentiator for investors and stakeholders alike. You can dive deeper into the market perception of these values by Exploring Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?
While revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, was $68.1 million, down 13% year-over-year due to timing, the high gross margin and strategic focus show the underlying value proposition remains intact. The company is simply managing project timelines to mitigate revenue volatility, which is a necessary part of the industrial products sector.
Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII) Core Values
When you look at a company like Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII), you need to see past the stock ticker and understand the fundamental principles driving their business. What truly matters is how their core values-Innovation, Sustainability, and Customer Value-map to their financial performance and strategic moves in the market. This isn't just corporate boilerplate; it's the operational DNA that allows them to maintain a gross margin of 64.2% as of Q3 2025.
Their mission is clear: deliver reliable, innovative, and sustainable solutions that create a positive impact for customers and the environment. That focus is why they're a leader in industrial fluid dynamics, especially in energy recovery devices (ERDs) for desalination and other high-pressure applications. You can't separate the values from the value proposition.
Innovation: Driving New Energy Efficiency Frontiers
Innovation is the core engine for Energy Recovery, Inc., a commitment to continuous improvement and developing new technologies that solve critical industrial challenges. This isn't just about incremental tweaks; it's about creating proprietary technology like the Pressure Exchanger (PX) that fundamentally changes the economics of water and energy. They invest heavily in research and development to keep their competitive edge sharp.
The company's focus on new markets, classified under the Emerging Technologies segment, is a direct result of this value. While commercialization is still in the early days, their CO2 refrigeration business had a strong summer season of testing in 2025, validating a value proposition that includes saving up to 15% of energy at peak times and saving tremendous amounts of water. Here's the quick math: proving out energy savings like that in a new market segment helps reduce their overall operating expenses (OpEx), which were already down 6.4% in Q3 2025 compared to the prior year. That's efficiency in action.
- Develop new technologies for evolving industry needs.
- Invest in R&D to maintain a competitive edge.
- Expand proprietary PX technology beyond desalination.
Sustainability: Maximizing Efficiency, Minimizing Footprint
For Energy Recovery, Inc., Sustainability is the business model itself, not an add-on. Their products are designed to reduce energy consumption, minimize waste, and conserve resources, directly addressing the global need for energy-efficient solutions in water treatment and industrial processes. The Pressure Exchanger (PX) technology, for instance, can reduce energy consumption by up to 60% in seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination facilities, achieving up to 98% efficiency.
This commitment translates into massive, quantifiable environmental benefits. A November 2025 project win in Saudi Arabia, valued at nearly $33 million, will install PX devices expected to save approximately 1,463 GWh of energy annually. Plus, this single project is projected to prevent 706,485 tons of CO₂ emissions each year. That's a defintely material impact, showing that sustainability and profitability are two sides of the same coin. This is how a company builds a resilient future.
Customer Value: Reliability and High-Performance Solutions
The third core value is delivering exceptional Customer Value, which Energy Recovery, Inc. achieves through reliable, high-performance products that solve specific client challenges. Their long history in the desalination industry-where their technology is the industry standard-speaks to this reliability. Customers trust their devices to operate efficiently in critical infrastructure.
The financial results for the third quarter of 2025, with revenue of $32.0 million and net income of $3.9 million, reflect a business built on strong customer relationships and contracted projects. The recent Saudi Arabia project win, which will supply over 1.5 million cubic meters of fresh water per day, is a clear example of a customer choosing Energy Recovery, Inc. based on their proven record of reliability and market leadership. The company's focus on the Water segment, which generates the majority of its revenue, proves that providing exceptional, reliable performance is a solid financial strategy. For a deeper look at who is backing this strategy, you should be Exploring Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

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