By Jsun Mills
Have you heard the buzz around the world and
in town related to solar energy? The abundant solar energy that we have here in
Mexico
can be captured and put to use to heat hot water for domestic household use,
swimming pools and to generate clean, cost effective solar electricity. The
latter, solar electric systems, are technically known as “Photovoltaic” or “PV”
(Photo=Light, Voltaic=Electricity) and will be the focus of this article.
Frustrated with high CFE electric bills? Now
you can do something about it and make the community and world a better place
at the same time. A solar electric “PV” system produces electricity during the
daytime to power up to 100% of your home or business electrical needs. These
special PV systems are interconnected with the CFE, Mexico’s national electric utility
company and power grid.
As a bonus, anytime your home solar electric
system is generating more electricity than you need, the excess is sent back
into the CFE power grid, spinning your meter backwards and producing a credit.
This credit is then typically used during the evening or whenever consumption
is greater than production. Credits can even be rolled over from one bill to
the next if need be. This process is known as net metering and is completely
legal with the correct contract and agreement. We implemented one of the first
grid tied systems in Mexico
over 4 years ago and the first solar PV system here Lakeside
3 years ago.
The economic case: Electric rates in Mexico for
users in the high DAC electric tariff have risen on average more 10% compounded
annually over the past 8 years. Current electricity prices at this level are
over 3-4 times the national average found in the US
and Canada.
Why? The majority of the fossil fuel based electricity generation here still
comes from petroleum and petroleum based derivatives. Unfortunately the days of
cheap oil are over as national production peaked in 2004 and has been in
dramatic decline ever since. Deep economic subsidies are being phased out and
this is why we now feel the price hikes on our electric bills and of course at
the fuel pump as well.
A grid connected solar electric “PV” system
can prove to be a very sound financial investment. When designed correctly
according to a home’s specific energy needs, annual return on investment can
exceed 10% at current electric rates and returns will only increase as electric
rates continue to soar in both the short and long term. As an effective hedge
against inflationary energy costs, a PV system allows you to keep more money in
your portfolio instead of throwing it away every 2 months only to be burned up
in the smokestack of some distant fossil fuel fired power plant. Furthermore,
your home’s resale value will increase as monthly operational costs will be
much lower than those compared to a home without this added feature.
Be sure to protect your investment by choosing
to work only with an expert PV system provider and manufacturers who have the
most experience with proven high quality technologies and will be around in the
future to provide first class service and support. As with any emerging
industry, be wary of opportunists who are out there just to make a quick buck and
will then vanish with the setting sun.
With all the economic and environmental
uncertainty in the world today, it is refreshing to know that a solar electric
system can help provide us with stability in the form of energy security and
energy independence. We may not know exactly what the future will hold but one
sure bet is that the sun will keep on shining for a long time to come. Future
generations thank you in advance for choosing to Go Solar!
Jsun Mills is a 12
year experienced veteran and renown professional in the international
photovoltaic industry. On the local level, he is an entrepreneur and owner of
“eSun Energy”, Lakeside’s first solar electric
solutions provider. For more information on solar: info@esunenergy.com or
(376)766-2319
Source: From
the Lake Chapala Review: November 15th,
2010 Volume 12, Issue 10