Currently, the demand for electricity continues to increase in order to meet day-to-day needs such as, for example, communication through mobile devices, packaging or food manufacturing in a plant, and even in the manufacture of automobile parts. This constant and uninterrupted use of electrical energy has led companies and authorities to seek alternatives to work with renewable energy sources and, as far as possible, increasingly cleaner ones.
Let us remember that, for many years, human beings have depended on non-renewable energy sources, generating a significant impact on the environment. However, in Mexico in particular, more sustainable solutions have been implemented, taking full advantage of the potential of clean energies such as solar and wind power. With the Energy Transition Law put in place in 2015, this country has committed to reducing its carbon footprint and ensuring a cleaner and more secure energy future for its inhabitants.
What is clean energy?
Clean energy is defined as energy that, during its production, does not generate waste or greenhouse gases that pollute the environment, compared to fossil fuels. They are also known as green energy because they do not have a negative impact on consumption.
Clean energy comes from renewable energy sources such as the sun, wind, rivers and freshwater streams, heat from the earth, the sea and waves. However, there are energies, such as nuclear power, which are considered clean because of their low environmental and climate impact, but are not renewable because they use finite fuel (in this case, uranium and other radioactive materials).
Differences between clean and renewable energies
To avoid confusion of terms, it is important to be aware of the differences between the types of energy sources that exist on the planet and their impact on the environment. A distinction must be made between renewable and non-renewable sources. And in the case of the former, there are two categories: clean energies (or non-polluting energies such as the sun, the wind, the seas and rivers) and polluting energies (such as organic matter or biomass).
It is important to understand that, unlike fossil fuels such as oil, coal or natural gas, which are limited, polluting and non-renewable resources, energy sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power are constantly regenerating thanks to the natural processes of our planet, are practically inexhaustible and, due to their origin, are considered clean energies.
Types of clean energy
In the generation of electric energy, Mexico has a wide range of options to take advantage of clean energies. The following are some of the most widely used in the country.
Wind energy
Wind has been one of the oldest sources of clean energy and is used, for example, to move sailboats or windmills. Therefore, wind energy is obtained by the force of the wind, thanks to the movement of air currents that go from areas of high atmospheric pressure to areas of low pressure and with velocities proportional to the pressure gradient.
Electricity generated with wind resources is produced with wind turbines, which can work in isolation or grouped in wind farms or wind generation plants. In Mexico, the areas with the greatest potential for the use of wind energy are the states of Oaxaca, Baja California and those belonging to the Gulf.
Photovoltaic energy
On the other hand, photovoltaic energy is a clean energy that uses the sun’s rays or solar radiation to transform it into electrical or thermal energy. It can also be used passively with bioclimatic and sustainable architecture techniques. Moreover, it is estimated that the sun produces four thousand times more energy than we humans are capable of consuming, so its potential is truly unlimited.
Solar energy is captured by solar panels, which can be of two types: solar collectors, which transform solar radiation into thermal energy for heating or domestic hot water production, and photovoltaic panels, which convert sunlight directly into electricity by means of photovoltaic cells.
As a very competitive source of clean energy, photovoltaic energy is suitable for large solar plants as well as for residential and commercial installations.
Hydroelectric or hydroelectric power
The main source of hydroelectric power is moving water, which can come from rivers, streams, a moderate flow or dams that can generate electricity on a large scale.
This type of energy is obtained by taking advantage of the fall of water between two different levels of height. With the appropriate infrastructure, the water falling from the upper level can be used and passed through turbines that transmit the energy to an alternator, which is responsible for generating electricity. In addition to generating electricity, infrastructures such as reservoirs can store water for different uses.
Benefits of clean energy
In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and thus improving air quality, clean energies also provide other benefits such as:
- Cost reduction in public services such as electricity, water and gas.
- Generation of direct and indirect jobs in various sectors.
- Savings for local governments in municipal services.
- Electrification of rural and remote communities.
- Promotion of development in isolated areas.
- Reduced dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Overview of clean energy adoption in Mexico
However, the adoption and generation of clean renewable energy in Mexico has had a very positive development in recent years. This has been achieved thanks to the operation of hydroelectric, wind, photovoltaic and bioenergy plants. According to the most recent report from the Ministry of Energy (SENER), in the first half of 2023, net renewable energy generation reached 36,914.9 GWh.
According to this report, photovoltaic generation from January to June 2023, represents the highest percentage of renewable energies with 32.8%, followed by hydroelectric energy with 29.4%, wind energy with 27.6%, geothermal energy with 6.9% and, finally, generation from bioenergy, which represented 4.1%.
Finally, it is worth remembering that the Energy Transition Law established in 2025, contemplated long-term goals so that by 2021, 30% of the electricity consumed in the country would come from clean sources; 35% by 2024 and 45% by 2036. These commitments have been achieved according to the types of existing clean energies and taking into account that, between 2019 and 2023, the increase in the adoption of such energies has been 31.8%.
