With an annual solar exposure of 2,400 kilowatts per square meter, Mexico’s geographic location is ideal for becoming a world power in solar power generation in the coming years.
“The Solar Belt covers the entire country, mainly the northern states with the largest territorial extension such as Sonora and Chihuahua,” said Joaquín Leal Jiménez, energy sector specialist at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
Leal Jiménez stressed that if solar panels will be installed in these two entities, it would be enough to supply electricity to the whole country, as he considers that the potential is very high.
Solar energy in Mexico represents only 2% of total electricity generation, however, states such as Sonora, Baja California, Chihuahua and Durango are geographical points that receive a large amount of radiation, which is not being used in the country.
According to Leal Jimenez, this generates the possibility of producing an energy surplus that would lower the cost of electricity and even allow its export, since the variable cost of producing electricity through photovoltaic panels is close to zero.