Solar thermal – a growing market spotlighted at Intersolar Mexico

Mexico’s solar heat market is gaining impressive traction. In 2023, the market grew by 5%, ranking sixth globally, while mature markets like Germany shrank by 47 %. This upward trend continued in 2024 with newly installed collector area growing by almost 10% to 505,711 m² (354 MW) according to market statistics from the Mexican solar industry associations FAMERAC and ANES. The growth path is attracting new players, including flat plate collector manufacturer H Solar in Nuevo León and system integrator Distrito Energía in Jalisco. With regional manufacturers spread across key economic zones, the market is becoming more robust and decentralized. This growing relevance will be reflected at this year’s Intersolar Mexico, where solar thermal will take centre stage, featuring international players like Dimas Solar from Greece on the exhibition floor and a conference programme with a strong focus on commercial and industrial applications. Photo: Intersolar Mexico 2023

“The solar thermal market in Mexico is being driven by the need to reduce energy costs and decrease dependence on imported fossil fuels. The outlook under the new government is positive, as solar heat is being included in various governmental strategies at both federal and state levels”, stated Daniel García, Managing Director of Mexico’s leading manufacturing company Módulo Solar and President of FAMERAC. This optimistic statement reflects growing confidence within the industry. The election of Mexico’s first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is seen as a promising signal for the renewable energy sector. Sheinbaum previously served as Mayor of Mexico City, where she implemented the Ciudad Solar (Solar City) programme, which promoted both PV and solar heating systems. Her scientific background and commitment to sustainability, as well as a clear willingness to engage in dialogue with industry players have raised expectations that solar heat will be more strongly integrated into national energy policies.

Highly diversified Mexican solar heat market

At the federal level there is currently only one support programme that includes solar heat technologies – INFONAVIT’s Green Mortgage, which integrates the cost of solar water heating systems into social housing loans. However, some states are beginning to lead their own efforts. In Mexico City there is a solar obligation for new buildings and the local government invested MXN (Mexican pesos) 14.7 million (USD 760,000) in bringing solar water heating to public hospitals via its Climate Action Program 2012-2020. In Jalisco, in the west at the Pacific, the Secretary for Sustainable Energy Development, Manuel Herrera Vega, recently introduced the State Energy Plan at a regional forum. The plan outlines the region’s energy balance and public policy strategy for the state’s energy transition, explicitly highlighting support for solar heat solutions in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.

Mexico’s solar thermal market has not only grown steadily in recent years, but has also increasingly diversified (see pie chart below). While the residential sector continues to dominate with 66.4% of newly installed collector area in 2024, the swimming pool heating segment represents a significant share at 22.7%. Notably, the commercial and industrial sectors are gaining ground with 5% and 5.5% respectively.

Newly installed capacity of 354 MW in 2024 by sectors. Source: Famerac/ANES

Further growth of solar thermal in the service sector is expected. On April 28, 2025, the National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy (CONUEE) published a comprehensive report outlining past incentive programmes and suggesting future actions to promote solar heating in this sector in Mexico.

Mexico: A global leader in Solar Heat for Industrial Processes

While still a niche globally, solar heat for industrial processes (SHIP) is an area where Mexico stands out as a global leader. According to data provided by Solrico, the country has installed at least 273 SHIP plants since 2017, more than any other country worldwide. In 2024 alone, 22 SHIP plants with a total capacity of 2.6 MW were installed in the country, four more than in 2023. Notably, four SHIP turnkey suppliers with more than 10 installations each are Mexican, including Módulo Solar, the global leader in number of SHIP plants installed. New entrants like H Solar, focussing on industrial clients, and Distrito Energía, a technically skilled system integrator, are expanding the market further.

High-temperature industrial applications are also gaining attention. In a webinar held by Intersolar Mexico,  Sayra Gómez, a Mexican researcher at the German institute Fraunhofer ISE, demonstrated that concentrating solar thermal systems can reliably reach process temperatures of up to 300°C, with a return on investment of only four years (see charts below).

Study by Fraunhofer ISE: Optimized payback periods for a solar industrial heat plant at Chihuahua with high irradiation in the north of Mexico and at Queretaro in the south with moderate irradiation. Source: Fraunhofer ISE

Visit Intersolar Mexico – The International Exhibition and Conference for the Solar Industry

Since its premiere in 2019, Intersolar Mexico has been a unique forum for deepening knowledge, connecting technology providers, and exploring business partnerships in Mexico’s fast-evolving solar thermal market. Now in its sixth edition, the event continues to receive strong backing from key national and international organizations, including FAMERAC, ANES and Heat Changers, all committed to promoting solar heating technologies and attracting qualified visitors. Several major industry players such as Módulo Solar and Dimas Solar, will showcase their solutions on the exhibition floor, whereas the conference programme features a dedicated session focused on solar thermal applications in the commercial and industrial sectors for the specialized audience. Additionally, visitors can benefit from a free technical workshop and multiple thematic sessions on the Intersolar Stage and Innovation Forum.

Websites of events and organizations mentioned in this news article:
About Intersolar Mexico https://bit.ly/3H9HCDb
ANES: https://anes.org.mx/
CONUEE: https://www.gob.mx/conuee
Dimas Solar: https://dimas-solar.gr/
Distrito Energía: https://www.distritoenergia.com
FAMERAC: https://www.famerac.org/
Fraunhofer ISE: https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/en.html
Heat Changers: https://heat-changers.com/en/
H Solar: https://www.hsolar.com.mx/
Módulo Solar: https://modulosolar.com/mx/