Solar Panels Gain Ground in Cancún as Power Outages Persist

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The private sector in Quintana Roo is exploring solar energy as a way to reduce its exposure to recent power outages that have disrupted commercial activity in Cancún.

Business groups are examining options such as photovoltaic panel systems, which could cut dependence on the conventional power grid and produce financial savings over time.

María Jovita Portillo Navarro, president of the employers’ group Coparmex in Quintana Roo, said the issue has already been discussed within the organization. She noted that some of its members offer solar installation services and are expected to give a presentation on the technology.

“Yes, it has been proposed,” Portillo Navarro said. “We even have partners in our sector who offer those services, and they will give us a talk on the matter. Information has been shared and passed around, and those same business owners have considered it appropriate not only for our sector as Coparmex but to extend it further and open it up to the public.”

The business leader added that the goal is for companies to learn about the benefits and characteristics of solar systems, and for information to eventually reach other sectors of the population.

With power cuts able to interrupt operations, cause economic losses and affect service delivery, producing part of a business’s electricity through renewable sources has taken on greater relevance.

Portillo Navarro said solar electricity can serve as a tool to strengthen energy autonomy, giving businesses a complementary power source and, in certain cases, reducing their exposure to shifts or failures in the grid.

Beyond keeping businesses running, she said, renewable energy offers a path toward more sustainable corporate practices and less reliance on conventional energy sources.

The initial objective, Portillo Navarro said, is to continue spreading information and connect entrepreneurs with specialists who can explain the costs, benefits, technical requirements and implementation options for solar panels.

In that way, the business sector hopes the energy debate will not center only on responding to blackouts, but will also push long-term solutions that companies and, in time, the general public can take advantage of.