Jalisco – A State Committed to Sustainability

Jalisco is a State that has adopted a Strategy to fight Climate Change. They did this by creating many sustainable measures from a collaborative city-wide effort, to integrate sustainable practices to promote resource efficiency in all city operations. All of this in addition to installing solar-powered parking meters plus purchasing recycled paper.

Every sector of the State is engaged in making their operations more cost and resource efficient.

This well-developed State is a pioneer in "Smart Grid". According to experts in new technologies, Smart Grid is an emergent segment comparable to the booming of the Internet in the early 1990's. the Secretary of Energy, Dr. Georgina Kessel, has declared that the strategy for energy efficiency in Mexico depends on the installation of this intelligent net, referred to as Smart Grid.

The basic component of the Smart Grid is the intelligent measurement of energy (smart meter). Jalisco is a pioneer in Mexico by pushing for the development of these technologies.

This is being done by designating specific supports for the design of the smart meter and a system for administering measurement (MDS) that is being approved by the Federal Commission of Electricity (CFE) as a prototype.

Based on these measures, diverse strategies for efficient generation, transmission and distribution of electric energy will be implemented. The development, done by the company ENERI (based in Jalisco), has been focused on the art of designing technological tanks and also for giving support to the technologic cluster concept in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara.

Other companies like Freescale Semiconductors, Texas Instruments, Intel and Microchip have also contributed to the design of the smart meter.

In this way, the world class electronic manufacturing industry present in Jalisco ensures a highly reliable product, free of defects.

Among other projects that are being initiated at this time, it is important to comment on what the Grupo Verde Jalisco (GVM) is doing. GVM is a green property development company using its local knowledge and relationships in Jalisco, Mexico, to develop renewable energy projects.

GVM's relationships with BYD (China) and Reclaim (UK) allow them to deliver the vertically integrated green energy solution required by Jalisco State. The Company is scheduled to launch operations in late 2010. It has 3,000 Hectares secured in Jalisco ready to be fitted with Solar PV arrays and a waste- to-energy installation.

As we mentioned before, GVM has a strong working relationship with BYD Solar in China, a company well-prepared to supply PV panels for the project as needed. Currently GVM expects to have 100 MW installed in 36 months and the levels of irradiance present in Jalisco will allow them to install much more.

Di Vece + Asociados is a major architectural company that has asked to work with the State Government to deliver green energy for all its new buildings. So, in this way they are completely free from any CFE energy constraints. The Jalisco government has asked for GVM to work with them to solarize their Logistics Industrial Park (Centro Logistico); this park is based on an area that is 1,200 Hectares in size and currently is under construction.

Another important Project to be carried out in Jalisco is the promotion of Renewable Energies in different forms and includes the wind energy project identified as "Vaquerías-La Paz". This project will be completed in the Municipality of Ojuelos, Jalisco, on a total surface area of 835 hectares.

The estimated investment goes to around US$104 million and will generate 300 temporary employees plus adding another estimated 300 to the supply chain.

Vaquerías-La Paz will generate renewable energy in a self-consumption scheme and will sell energy over the long term. It is a wind energy park that will increase the total electrical energy produced in the State by 22%. This park will generate 1.56% of the energy consumed in the State.

This represents 6.48% of the total for domestic consumption and is enough energy to supply 125,000 mediumsized houses.

KIOTO CLEAR ENERGY is a Company of the Group One Tech. They specialize in the production of high tech solar panels. KIOTO CLEAN ENERGY fabricates and develops thermal solar collectors as well as their fixations for the specific needs of their clients.

This Company is also producing water heating systems and they are about to run the fabrication of photovoltaic panels for the generation of electricity, being the leader of the European market with important presence in Austria, Germany, Italy and Slovenia.

To conclude, it is important to mention the presence of MIXBAAL. MIXBAAL Solar Division has been revolutionizing the field of Opto- Electronics with its work on PV panels design, an it is responsible for new product introduction and has agreements with a number of European manufacturers, like OPEL or IGSOLAR, featuring a concentration of photovoltaic solar modules.

MIXBAAL has initiated the installation of a subsidiary with a 20MW capacity fully-automated Crystalline Solar panel factory. This will be accomplished by means of a promising joint venture with IGSOLAR at its IberoAmericana Solar site. Jalisco is also committed to biofuels.

The Guadalajara Metropolitan Area is scheduled to be the first in a planned number of efforts by the Federal and State governments, along with PEMEX, to adopt the consumption of ethanol-enriched gas, in order to lower the emission of noxious exhaust fumes to the atmosphere. A number of companies in Jalisco are working now in order to be able to supply PEMEX with ethanol, be it sugar cane, agave, or sorghum-based. We will see a number of ethanol and biodiesel plants springing-up very soon in the Agave Landscape!