Mexico's residential sector: Main electric end-uses and savings potential

Panel: Panel 2. Commercial Technologies and Buildings

Author:
Rafael A. Friedmann, University of California, USA

Abstract

The two purposes of this paper were to identify the major electric end-uses of Mexican homes and to quantify the potential savings in electric demand and energy in the year 2000, from the introduction of the currently most efficient and cost-effective technologies. Historical sales data on electric appliances in Mexico were combined with household survey data and appliance efficiency data to determine the main electric end-uses. Extrapolation of historical data to the year 2000 was used to determine the expected electric demand and energy use by Mexican homes with current appliances. A similar extrapolation, but with the most efficient appliances available today was used to estimate the savings potential to the year 2000. In 1991, lighting, refrigeration, and television accounted for about 3/4 of residential electric use and 113 of peak electric demand in Mexico. By the year 2000, efficient technologies could reduce peak electric demand by about 3,2 GW and electricity end-use by about 68 TWh; obviating 4,3 billion ECU in electric capacity expansion. These household electric savings would also permit the public utility to increase residential tariffs and reduce the residential subsidy of about 50 percent (about 651 million ECU in 1991).

To achieve these savings will require a strengthening and expansion of the current small-scale projects being done collaboratively by the utility, consumers, manufacturers, retailers, and government.