Solar Energy in Guanajuato

Published July 11th, 2022

With average solar radiation of 5.8-kilowatt-hours per square meter, Guanajuato’s photovoltaic energy potential is equivalent to 1,600 times its energy consumption, so with an installation of 20 square kilometers of solar panels, it would be energetically self-sustainable, explained Maria Isabel Ortiz, Secretary of Environment of the State, in an interview for the program “cambios” on Channel 6.

“With an area of 20 square kilometers, we receive the amount of solar energy equivalent to the total current consumption of the State of Guanajuato.

Of what we consume in Guanajuato and the potential, we have 1,600 times more solar energy potential than what we consume, that is to say, that practically with 20 square kilometers we could be supplying all the energy required by the state,” she said.

From 2019 to 2021, a total of 836 photovoltaic modules were installed in homes, public schools, and public buildings with an annual generation of 472.24 megawatt-hours, which have an impact on the reduction of 238.48 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.

Guanajuato currently ranks eighth nationally in installed photovoltaic energy, where more than 500,000 homes have solar heaters, which makes it the second entity nationwide with the largest number of heaters.

“We have gone on to have a great installed capacity of photovoltaic energy, which is solar energy, we are in 8th place nationally, that is to say, that we have installed exactly 292 megawatts, which is an enormous potential to continue developing it,” he commented.

It is cleaner energy, which generates a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and is also much more economical. For this reason, today governmental energies have migrated to clean energies through the installation of solar panels.

In addition, through the Guanajuato Funds, companies and productive units can install solar panels through credits and thus reduce pollution, as well as reduce their energy costs.

“In just two years we went from being in the 12th place, to be in the number 5 place of installed distributed generation, distributed generation is the one that can be put in homes, in small and medium enterprises for roofs that are distributed generation,” concluded the Secretary of Environment.

Guanajuato has 14 clean energy projects in the pipeline, one of them for wind energy, another one for hydroelectric energy, and the rest for photovoltaic energy.

There are currently three solar parks installed, two located in San Luis de la Paz and one more in San Miguel de Allende, and there are also 22 self-supply permits for companies that have already installed their own solar panels.