Clear Horizon for Mexican Solar

By Meg Cichon, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com
December 14, 2012 

Mexico has some of the world's finest solar resources, but its PV industry must clear several longstanding hurdles to fulfil its potential.

 

New Hampshire, USA -- Northern Mexico is considered to have the world's third greatest solar insolation potential, with areas estimated to have about 5 kWh/m2 per day. With resources 60% greater than those of Germany, less than 1% of Mexico's land area would need to be developed to power the entire nation, according to the Secretaria de Energia de Mexico (SENER), Mexico's energy ministry. Meanwhile, growth in the nation's electricity needs is expected to average 6%-7% year-on-year, with even higher growth rates in more populated areas. With such promising potential and a steadily growing need for power, why isn't the nation a solar front-runner?

The Current Energy Landscape

Historically, Mexico has been the seventh largest oil producer in the world. Oil remains a critical resource for its economy: about 58% of Mexico’s energy comes from oil and 30% from natural gas, with the rest a mix, including coal, nuclear and renewables. But recent years have brought a decline in oil reserves and an increasing reliance on natural gas imports. The government has also begun to question its reliance on fossil fuels and to consider carbon emissions, for which the country is ranked 13th among nations.