The market prospect of solar technology in mexico

A current and future reality is the use of solar energy sources to meet the energy demand for international economic and social development. With the use of non-renewable energy sources we have achieved an environmental instability that causes great losses due to climate change and uncontrolled natural phenomena. The demand for energy sources will increase as a function of population growth, technological, economic and social progress. In this context, the search for renewable energy sources is fundamental for the countries that address their policies to promote the use of such sources of energy. The visible challenge is then, technological and scientific, since we have been completely dependent for years on non-renewable sources such as fossils fuels. There is a delay on the generation of frontier knowledge and technological development in the field of renewable energy. This has impeded their integration into the market for its use and for the mitigation of the harmful effects of traditional sources. Regarding renewable energy sources, there are several lines of application extending from wind, sea, biomass, geothermal and solar, among others. It should be noted that solar energy is the most abundant on earth. The energy market has focused specifically on exploiting photovoltaic (PV) technology, leaving aside heat generation technology, even though it is the most advanced technology and is found as a global product. However, the solar energy market has lacked acceptance, mainly due to the fluctuation on the sun’s irradiance as it only generates power during light hours. This chapter presents an overwiew of the potential of solar thermal energy technology and its value chain to increase its penetration in the market (or its presence in the market) and the businesses that are generated around its development, manufacture and use. Among these businesses are the production and development of reflecting surfaces, concentration tubes, coating materials, solar tracking, control, as well as the inputs for their construction.