pv car parks, solar heaters and distributed generation are set to become more of a fixture in mexico city under a new scheme, unveiled over the weekend.
the ‘solar city’ programme launched by governor claudia sheinbaum will seek over the next five years to install 350mw of pv in the 8.9-million inhabitant megacity, one of the world’s largest.
together with fellow development financiers and , the world bank will fund most of the mxn7.929 billion (us$415.2 million) programme, while mexico city will contribute a small share.
between 2019 and 2024, the pot will support the roll-out of 150mw of pv projects of 500kwp or more. chief amongst them will be a 25mw car park rooftop at 810-acre market central de abastos and a 4mw, full pv reconversion of mexico city’s light railway.
this will come alongside a 200mw push for projects under the 500kwp threshold. this second group includes solar heaters across 153,000-plus homes and businesses, ~40kwp systems for government buildings and a pv-powered electrification of the city’s maize mills, hotels and dry cleaners, among others.
“we’re talking here of a very ambitious goal: slashing mexico city’s co2 emissions by around two million tonnes,” said city governor sheinbaum, a former environmental engineer and last july.
her promotion of solar comes as policies from mexico president andrés manuel lópez obrador – who like sheinbaum hails from left-wing party morena – cast a pall over the nation-wide industry.
by energy market reforms from lópez obrador’s predecessors have faced obstacles under the new administration, including the postponement of auctions and a signed years ago with state utility cfe.