Market assessment of photovoltaic power systems for agricultural applications in Mexico

Technical Report · Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6055183

Steigelman, W; Asmon, I

A month-long study in Mexico was aimed at assessing the market potential for stand-alone photovoltaic systems in agriculture. The types of applications considered are those requiring less than 15 kw of power. The applications include irrigation, cattle watering, refrigeration, crop processing and animal raising. Descriptions are provided of power and energy use profiles for many applications as well as assessments of business environment, government and private sector attitudes towards photovoltaics, and financing. The Mexican market presents both advantages and disadvantages for American PV manufacturers. The principal advantages are recognition of the technical superiority of American photovoltaics and the favorable reputation of several American PV firms already active in the Mexican market. Major disadvantages include lack of government incentives for PV use, cheap domestic energy sources, extensive electric grid, high first cost of PV, competition from Mexican and other non-US PV companies, and lack of financing. Given these parameters the market for PV in the Mexican agricultural sector during the period 1981 to 1986, will be relatively small, about 605 kwp. However, other sectors where the market for PV is likely to be more favorable than for agriculture include: rural services, telecommunications and cathodic protection. The primary market appears to be in the public (i.e., government) rather than private sector, due to financing constraints and the high price of PV relative to conventional power sources available to the private sector.

• Research Organization: DHR, Inc., Washington, DC (USA); ARD, Inc., Burlington, VT (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AI01-76ET20485
• OSTI ID: 6055183
• Report Number(s): DOE/NASA/0180-3; NASA-CR-165441; ON: DE82001329
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLIES
MARKETING RESEARCH
AGRICULTURE
ATTITUDES
COMPETITION
CONSTRAINTS
FINANCING
IRRIGATION
LIFE-CYCLE COST
MEXICO
POWER DEMAND
REFRIGERATION
SOLAR INDUSTRY
USES
COOLING
COST
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
INDUSTRY
LATIN AMERICA
NORTH AMERICA
POWER SUPPLIES
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
140600* - Solar Energy- Photovoltaic Power Systems
140300 - Solar Energy- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
299001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Solar- (1989-)