Exergy analysis of the Mexican energy sector

Abstract

This paper proposes a step-by-step, replicable methodology for analyzing the exergy characteristics of a country’s energy system. It introduces a set of indicators comparable to those commonly used to describe national energy systems: (1) exergy intensity (2) exergy destruction per capita, (3) exergy destruction per gross domestic product (GDP), (4) exergy efficiency, and (5) exergetic cost. The energy efficiency of the energy sector in Mexico was roughly 20% lower than energy efficiency, with substantially less improvement over the 15 years from 2013 to 2018. This difference arises from a strong dependency on fossil fuels and associated exergy destruction, which is not immediately apparent when taking only an energy perspective. The economic value of exergy destruction could represent 2.9 % of GDP in Mexico. A decreasing trend in the final exergy consumption is not necessarily reflected in lower exergy destruction. Those indicators provide information about the Jevons’ paradox. And it points to substantial room for efficiency improvements in the energy sector, with important implications for greenhouse gas emissions. Applying the exergy perspective will allow policymakers to understand better opportunities to unlock new efficiencies and improve the sustainability of Mexico’s energy system and those of other countries.