There are many types of energy, and among them, alternative energies, or renewable energies, are the ones that are developing the most in Mexico. Not in vain, it is a country that has a geography and natural conditions that are unparalleled when it comes to alternative energy generation. This, together with a great diversification of the types of energy and the ways in which it is used, places the American country at the forefront of the renewable energy sector worldwide.
If you want to know what the main alternative energy sources are in Mexico, continue reading this article from EcologíaVerde and find out.
Definition of energy sources
One of the first things we need to be clear about when talking about energy sources is to define what they are. Energy sources are understood to be those phenomena (physical or chemical) that can be used to generate work. That is, those phenomena that can be transformed to carry out a specific activity that requires strength or the ability to carry out a specific action.
Thus, we can talk about wind energy when using the wind phenomenon to create electricity (physical phenomenon), or wood energy when burning wood to obtain the movement of a steam engine (chemical phenomenon), or solar energy when obtaining energy from the sun , etc.
In this other article we talk about What are the most used energy sources in the world , with more examples.
Types of energy sources
Energy sources can be classified in different ways. Some of the most common ones are the following:
Primary and secondary energy sources
This classification refers to whether it is a source of energy that is obtained directly from nature or whether it is made from a form of energy already transformed by humans. An example of primary energy types would be wind, while an example of secondary energy types would be electricity produced from said wind.
What are renewable and non-renewable energy sources?
This other classification refers to whether they are forms of energy that can be depleted by use or whether their constant renewal makes them virtually inexhaustible sources of energy. Some examples of non-renewable energies would be oil or natural gas, while some examples of renewable energies would be solar energy or hydroelectric energy.
Learn more about renewable and non-renewable energy in this other article from Green Ecology.
Clean and non-clean energy sources
This other classification of energy forms refers to whether or not they produce harmful waste for the environment. Most clean or green energies correspond to renewable energies. However, these are different categories, so it is important to clarify these differences. Some examples of clean energies could be hydraulic energy or wind energy. While some examples of non-clean energies would be from oil to biofuel, since, although the latter is a renewable energy, it produces greenhouse gases, so it could not be fully classified as clean energy (although compared to other non-clean energies they are among those with the least impact on the planet).
Main sources of alternative energy in Mexico
Mexico stands out for having a large amount of renewable energy within the total sum of energy it consumes. This is due to several factors, among which it is worth highlighting the fact that it has a privileged geography, orography, and latitude in terms of the production of alternative energies . In this sense, the use of hydraulic energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, and energies derived from biomass and solar energy stand out.
Hydropower
One of the clear examples of alternative energy sources in Mexico is water, which is used to obtain hydroelectric energy . It is considered that approximately 21% of the energy consumed in Mexico has one way or another of hydroelectric origin. Mexico has several dams that generate hydroelectric energy, including the Manuel Moreno Torres Hydroelectric Power Plant, or the El Cajón Dam, among many others.
Wind energy
It is estimated that Mexico has a wind energy capacity of over 1,400 MW. There are several wind farms that distribute their electricity throughout the country, including the La Ventosa Wind Farm, made up of 104 wind turbines.
Geothermal energy
Thanks to its high tectonic activity, Mexico is one of the countries that can obtain the most energy from the geological activity of the planet’s interior. The country has four large facilities from which it obtains the majority of its geothermal energy. These facilities are Cerro Prieto, which is the most powerful in Mexico and the second largest in the world, Los Azufres, Los Humeros and Tres Vírgenes.
Solar energy
Mexico’s solar energy potential has the honor of being among the highest in the world in proportion to its population. Photovoltaic energy obtained from solar panels has developed at a very fast pace in the last two decades. A good example is the Aura Solar project, which has a capacity to produce 82 GWh per year.
Biomass
Finally, Mexico also has a high potential for obtaining electricity from biomass . This is helped by its high rate of production of urban waste, as well as agricultural waste. It is estimated that, from biomass alone, Mexico has the capacity to produce some 4,507 MWh annually.
