Analysis of current status and integration of solar technologies in the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara, Mexico

The global aim to improve the overall climate outlook by counteracting the effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions has become a crucial matter. A transition towards a clean and sustainable energy sector is necessary to mitigate climate change. Solar technologies in Mexico are a very attractive market due to the excellent availability of solar resources and yet, the adoption of these solutions is lagging far behind. This work presents an overview of solar energy in the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara in Mexico, providing insight into the assessment of the current state of the solar market, the identification of possible causes and consequences and the analysis of the further potential of solar technologies in the city. The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, we design a location-independent tool to evaluate the status quo of the solar energy market. This consists on an in-depth online survey and semi-structured telephone interviews targeting industry experts in the study area. Second, using this tool, we systematically collect quantitative and qualitative data for the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara. Finally, we interpret the obtained results and analyze the current state of the solar market for this location by comparing the market development of solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies. The results show that a generalized lack of information regarding the technical and regulatory aspects of the solar technologies, the difference between political, economic and social interests, the high upfront cost of solar systems, as well as the slow process to modify the legislation hinder the development of the solar market in the study area. Nevertheless, they also indicate that there are increasing intentions and actions to adopt such technologies to reduce the energy expenses and to care for the environment. The favourable geographic location with above-average solar irradiation, the recent effort of the government to promote solar technologies and the growing energy demand are positive factors influencing the solar technology market in this region. However, an existing bad reputation of solar water heaters caused by widespread misinformation and misuse has affected the regional solar market negatively. Nevertheless, the photovoltaic market has favorable conditions to continue growing.     «

The global aim to improve the overall climate outlook by counteracting the effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions has become a crucial matter. A transition towards a clean and sustainable energy sector is necessary to mitigate climate change. Solar technologies in Mexico are a very attractive market due to the excellent availability of solar resources and yet, the adoption of these solutions is lagging far behind. This work presents an overview of solar energy in the Metropolitan Area...     »