Mexico Program

Mexico Energy Program

Berkeley Lab's Mexico Energy Initiative seeks to play an important role in supporting Mexico's transition to greater clean energy production, more efficient use of energy and aggressive carbon emissions reductions. Understanding energy use around the world is of critical importance to the United States, and working with Mexico enhances our strategic understanding of energy use worldwide.

Our Research

Michael McNeil, Director of Berkeley Lab's Mexico Energy Initiative (upper left) and Monica Bansal, Lead of the Green Cities Division at the Center for Environment, Energy and Infrastructure at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) (upper right), meet with Odon de Buen, Director of the National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy (CONUEE) (center) and his team.
Michael McNeil, Director of Berkeley Lab's Mexico Energy Initiative (upper left) and Monica Bansal, Lead of the Green Cities Division at the Center for Environment, Energy and Infrastructure at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) (upper right), meet with Odon de Buen, Director of the National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy (CONUEE) (center) and his team. 

The Mexico Energy Initiative is building on more than two decades of collaboration with Mexico, and similar models of successful collaboration with China and India at Berkeley Lab, to help Mexico make lasting progress in the areas of policy development, scientific exchange, capacity building and implementation of energy efficiency programs. We supply the data to enable both the U.S. and Mexico understand the implications of energy decisions and energy impacts.

Already the second-largest Latin American economy, Mexico is the major regional leader in the area.  Over the years, Berkeley Lab has forged a solid partnership with Mexico’s National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy (CONUEE) to collaborate in the development of energy efficiency regulations and in the evaluation of related economic and environmental impacts.  The Mexico Energy Initiative seeks to expand its engagement with key actors in the public, private and academic sectors and leverage California’s role as a national and global leader in clean technology investment and policy development to further energy efficiency uptake in Mexico. 
 

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Follow the Mexico program on Twitter @lbnl_mexico 

Projects

Energy Pathways Initiative

​U.S. Supports Mexico to reach energy goals

The Mexican Energy Pathways Initiative / Iniciativa Rutas Energéticas Mexicanas (MEPI/IREM) is a collaborative, multidisciplinary, and multisector effort to improve and expand the data and analysis needed by decision makers and researchers in Mexico and abroad to enable Mexico to more rapidly and effectively meet its clean energy goals.

As a global leader in the field with a long history of collaboration with Mexico, Berkeley Lab is well positioned to serve as a focal point for clean energy research. Through collaboration with the Mexican government and academic and private sector institutions, Berkeley Lab's Mexico Energy Initiative leverages broad scientific and policy making expertise, particularly in core areas of policy development, scientific exchange, institutional capacity building and energy efficiency program implementation.

National emissions of greenhouse gases in Mexico under the baseline scenario (BAU) and INDC mitigation unconditional goals, 2013-2030.

National emissions of greenhouse gases in Mexico under the baseline
scenario (BAU) and INDC mitigation unconditional goals, 2013-2030.
Source: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) for Mexico

Points of Interaction

MEPI/IREM can impact Mexican clean energy data analysis and policy development through the following channels:

  • Emissions Reduction Commitments (NDCs) — Mexico's Paris Agreement NDC calls for 22% unconditional reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, but provides few details about ways to achieve them. MEPI/IREM can help identify core data and existing gaps, specific barriers and the most fruitful paths forward.
  • Mexican Energy Transition Strategy — As part of Mexico's Energy Transition Law, SENER issued a strategy document outlining targets and actions to reduce energy consumption, including a 1.9% annual reduction in energy intensity through 2030 and 2.9% thereafter. MEPI/IREM can both propose and evaluate specific policies and strategies with the best chance of meeting or exceeding these targets.
  • Long-Term Planning — The long-term energy outlook for Mexico depends on careful forecasting of demographic and economic trends, including technological advances in electricity generation and usage. MEPI/IREM can help map out probable trends and scenarios, and identify high-impact investment areas.

Research Approach

Berkeley Lab researchers are experts in developing highly tailored models to inform policymakers of the likely trajectory of energy demand, as well as models which reveal the best options for high impact energy reduction and decarbonization policies. Two of the primary models developed by Berkeley Lab are the China 2050 Demand Resources Energy Analysis Model (DREAM) covering energy use and production in China, and the Bottom Up Energy Analysis System (BUENAS), a global equipment efficiency model for buildings and industry. These models and others have provided policy makers across the globe with key insights that have helped to shape large scale clean energy policies and strategies including IPCC reports, China's 12th 5-year energy plan, pre-negotiations to the Paris Agreement, the Clean Energy Ministerial Initiative, and Global Energy Assessment, among others.

 

Berkeley Lab analysis of projected 2030 hourly electricity load for Indonesia, a large, rapidly developing economy like Mexico.
Berkeley Lab analysis of projected 2030 hourly electricity load for Indonesia,
a large, rapidly developing economy like Mexico.

 

Research Topics

The following is a small selection of the wide variety of studies that are possible within MEPI/IREM:

  • Sector / Technology Studies — What are the most attractive technologies for "leapfrogging" in Mexico? What are the best strategies for addressing the central role in space cooling in energy demand? What is the baseline trend for efficiency at the sector and technology level?
  • Cross-Sector Studies — What are the greatest opportunities for energy savings where sectors meet, such as power and the electrification of vehicles? What is the interaction between efficiency and the power sector, such as load reduction on the integration of renewable energy in Mexico?
  • Raising the Profile of Energy Efficiency — How does the International Energy Agency's estimate of nearly 50% of climate mitigation from energy efficiency track with Mexico's energy reduction targets? How much is possible within each sector, and where are there misallocations in energy use across sectors?

Group Photo

Mexican Partner Institutions

  • Secretaría Nacional de Energía (SENER)
  • Comisión Nacional para el Uso Eficiente de la Energía (CONUEE)
  • UNAM-Instituto de Energías Renovables (UNAM-IER)
  • UNAM-Facultad de Ingeniería (UNAM-FI)
  • Instituto Nacional para Electricidad y Energías Limpias (INEEL)
  • Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (TdM)
  • Instituto Nacional de Ecología y Cambio Climático (INECC)
  • Centro Mario Molina (CMM)
  • Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE)

Cooling Initiative

Berkeley Lab's Mexico Energy Group Cooling Initiative

Work on Berkeley Lab's Cooling Initiative for Mexico is funded by US AID and the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program, with the goal of lowering emissions while also stimulating our economy and ensuring our energy security.

 

Mexico Cooling Load graphic

 

Berkeley Lab Mexico Energy Initiative (MEI) analysis finds that space cooling (air conditioning) in Mexico accounts for:

  • Summer electricity use increase of 30%
  • Nine percent of total electricity consumption
  • Peak electricity demand of 7.5 GW
  • Over $US 3 billion per year in energy bills and subsidies
  • 10 million metric tons of CO2
  • Peak demand not well correlated to renewable resources

Most importantly, cooling energy use is projected to double by 2030 and increase by a factor of 3.5 by 2050, in line with global trends. Because of this, some activities are emerging around cooling worldwide and for Mexico in particular. In 2017 alone:

  • SENER announced a Mexico-Roadmap for Building Energy Codes and Standards in collaboration with the International Energy Agency and other partners.
  • The Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP) announced support for energy efficiency transition and HFC refrigerant phase-down in Mexico, in partnership with Berkeley Lab and UNDP.
  • Mexico's Sustainable Energy Fund (FSE) launched a 10 million dollar research initiative on Buildings Energy Efficiency in collaboration with the University of California.
Cooling Energy Reduction Measures

Considering the importance of cooling to Mexico's energy system, as well as the tools to mitigate it (e.g. equipment efficiency and advanced construction), MEI partnered with USAID, SENER and CONUEE on a Summit on Space Cooling Research Needs and Opportunities in Mexico held in Mexico City in February 2018. In this unique event, participants from Mexican federal and state governments, researchers, industry and NGOs discussed opportunities, barriers and solutions to lowering cooling energy consumption through six main areas of practice (equipment standards, voluntary adoption programs, technology R&D, building codes, cool surfaces and advanced building design and operation). These discussions set the stage for a Mexico Cooling Initiative with goals to cut cooling energy demand by half versus Business-As-Usual and save 100 billion dollars of electricity costs and subsidies by 2050.

Within the framework of the Mexico Cooling Initiative, Berkeley Lab proposes work in close coordination with SENER, CONUEE and other government agencies, as well as research institutions in Mexico and the U.S. and a wide array of private sector and civil society organizations in an integrated and coordinated strategy to meet these ambitious goals. The following main components are drawn from the Summit and ongoing dialog within the Mexico Cooling community:

Components of Mexico Cooling Initiative

Research and Development

Basic research projects driving achievement of initiative goals through development of novel technologies scaling already-commercialized ones through a program of lab experiments, field testing and market and policy analysis, within a National Center on Human Thermal Comfort, as well as in collaboration with other institutions.

  • Demonstration/Pilot Projects — Coordinated field testing of advanced cooling and building technologies and technical standards integrated with industry initiatives and commercialization pipelining.
  • Cooling Insights Program — Design and collect datasets to better understand cooling loads, market dynamics and economic/subsidy/environmental impacts to create basis for program implementation, policy design and evaluation.
  • Regulatory Support — Bolster technical analysis supporting equipment efficiency standards (NOMs) including impacts, cost-effectiveness, comparison to international norms and expansion of coverage. Build robust technical foundation to update national building energy codes (NOM-008 and NOM-020).

Program Implementation and Capacity Building

  • Market Transformation — Comprehensive, integrated strategies to increase penetration of high-efficiency equipment and buildings, including innovative financing and incentive programs, bulk purchasing and voluntary industry agreements.
  • Refrigerant Transition Coordination — Efficiency technologies and policies with HFC phase-down (through K-CEP and other programs) and other refrigeration technologies.
  • Enterprise Kick starting — Technical support and startup financing to incubate home-grown manufacturing and installation of efficient equipment and building materials.
  • Outreach, Education and Training — Information and education campaigns to inform end users, technicians, builders and local governments about the benefits of high-efficiency equipment and buildings, including on-site events, social media and mobile apps. Training programs for technicians, architects, engineers and builders.
  • Building Code Implementation — Development piloting and implementation of strategies to scale adoption and enforcement of building energy codes (NOM-008 and NOM-020) by sub-national governments.
  • Policy Evaluation — Elevation of cooling energy efficiency as a policy priority in Mexico's energy and climate strategy. Evaluation, monitoring and verification to ensure program integrity and quantify impacts.

Organization and Coordination

  • Initiative Coordination — Secretariat to manage, coordinate and seek synergy between projects and programs across multiple stakeholders and funding sources.
  • Community of Practice — Ongoing networking, outreach and convening platform including website, social media and newsletter / blogs to facilitate collaborative engagement throughout the initiative.

Important Links

Mexico Energy Program Researchers
Program Manager 2
Retiree Affiliate
Energy/Environmental Policy Research Scientist/Engineer

Documents

Documents

Mexico Energy Initiative

Building on more than two decades of collaboration with Mexico, and similar models of successful collaboration with China and India, Berkeley Lab's Mexico Energy Initiative seeks to play an important role in supporting Mexico's transition to greater clean energy production, more efficient use of energy, and aggressive carbon emissions reductions, as articulated by Mexico’s contributions to the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement. More broadly, the Mexico Energy Initiative seeks to foster increased high impact, collaborative clean energy research between the US and Mexico that will benefit Mexico, California, the US, and the world.

Download Mexico Energy Initiative (PDF) (4.84 MB)
 

Mexico Cooling Fact Book

Mexico Space Cooling Electricity Impacts And Mitigation Strategies Analysis. Supporting The Summit On Space Cooling Research Needs And Opportunities In Mexico February 15-16 Casa De La Universidad De California, Mexico City

Download Mexico Cooling Fact Book (PDF) (904.59 KB)
 

Mexico Cooling Summit Agenda

Objective: Discuss the impact of growing electricity demand for space cooling in Mexico’s energy landscape, identify potentials to reduce waste, barriers to implementation and emerging opportunities for R&D collaborations. The workshop is part of the Mexico Cooling Initiative, a highimpact research-oriented effort seeking to: raise awareness, support effective targets and develop a detailed action plan to design and implement energy policies and foster cooling technologies.

Download Mexico Cooling Summit Agenda (PDF) (619.53 KB)
 

Mexico Space Cooling Electricity Impacts And Mitigation Strategies

Analysis Supporting The Summit On Space Cooling Research Needs And Opportunities In Mexico February 15-16 Casa De La Universidad de California, Mexico City

Download Mexico Cooling Fact Book (PDF) (904.59 KB)
 

Mexico Cooling Initiative

Berkeley Lab Mexico Energy Initiative (MEI) analysis finds that space cooling (air conditioning) in Mexico accounts for:

  • Summer electricity use increase of 30%
  • Nine percent of total electricity consumption
  • Peak electricity demand of 7.5 GW
  • Over $US 3 billion per year in energy bills and subsidies
  • 10 million metric tons of CO2
  • Peak demand not well correlated to renewable resources

Download Mexico Cooling Initiative (PDF) (1.03 MB)

 

Success Story: Air Conditioning Electricity Monitoring in Sonora, Mexico

Supported by the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID's) Energy Efficiency for Development Program (EE4D), this case study is a first-of-its-kind analysis on residential air conditioning use for the state of Sonora, Mexico, where summer temperatures routinely approach 105 degrees F. This analysis provides a critical piece of evidence that will help Mexican policymakers to set effective policy. 

Download Success Story: Air Conditioning Electricity Monitoring in Sonora, Mexico (PDF) (3.49 MB)

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