The Mexican Wind Energy Association is a non-profit civil association dedicated to promoting the development of the wind sector in Mexico. AMDEE represents the main players in the wind industry and collaborates with the authorities in promoting the regulation and policies necessary to promote the sustainable and sustained development of wind energy in Mexico.

Wind energy is currently one of the most competitive renewable sources. Despite its high investment costs, operating costs are very low, compared to those related to conventional technologies

The objective of AMDEE is to participate in public and private decision-making processes that affect the planning, organization and regulation of the Wind Sector, for the promotion, implementation, installation and operation of wind farms, promoting the best practices in the industry and the use of cutting-edge technologies worldwide, benefiting:
• Owners of land suitable for the development of wind farms, through additional income for the rights to use their properties, without affecting their traditional activity.
• States and Municipalities through the attraction of investors and the consequent economic spillover that this generates, both at the level of the population in general and of local administrations.
• The national industry promoting value chains associated with the manufacture of capital goods and the services required by the wind industry.
• The fulfillment of the national goals regarding the commitment on climate change, which in the case of Mexico implies reaching a share of renewable energy sources equivalent to 35% of the electricity generation in the country.
• Private investment in a market with a very high potential for sustained growth

Wind energy has a huge social impact. The environmental benefits of this technology play an important role, since by generating electricity from clean energy sources, they achieve a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity generation. Likewise, the installation of wind farms in rural areas of the country, where the main economic activities are agriculture and livestock, generates an additional income for the owners of the land used, without affecting their traditional activity. The installation of wind farms generates jobs and an economic impact in the regions where it is developed, motivated both by the increase in the income of a large number of families and by the Social Responsibility projects of the companies.

A wind farm requires only the wind to work. The wind is an inexhaustible resource and each wind MW installed annually prevents the emission of 2,900 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, thereby contributing significantly to curb climate change. Wind farms are easy to dismantle, leaving the land where once a wind farm existed, practically intact at the end of its life cycle.

At the end of 2014, Mexico will have an installed capacity of around 2,551MW distributed in the following States of the country:
• Baja California
• Baja California Sur
• New Lion
• Coahuila
• Jalisco
• Oaxaca
• Tamaulipas
• Chiapas
• Quintana Roo
• Yucatán
The energy they produce is equivalent to all that is consumed in the states of Campeche and Colima, or it is enough to cover the electrical needs of 411,000 houses.

The most common practice is the conclusion of leases with landowners, long term that coincides with the useful life of the projects. These contracts are usually divided into three stages: (i) Reserve, (ii) Construction and (iii) Operation.

The investment that has been made since 2004 at the end of 2014 in the country for the development of wind projects exceeds 5,000 million Dollars (US).

The goal for the year 2020-2022 is to achieve an installed capacity in the country of at least 12,000 MW, which will represent around 40% of the national renewable energy target.

The wind resource in Mexico is very abundant and of great quality, which allows, unlike most countries where there is already an important installed wind capacity, to develop profitable projects without the need of government subsidies. The risk of the projects is assumed entirely by the developers and investors

Before building or placing a wind farm, studies are made of the wind resource, to establish the amount of energy it can produce. During certain hours of the day and at certain times of the year, it is possible that the wind turbines stop due to lack of wind and even, in some cases, due to the presence of winds with higher speeds than those that can operate. However, the current technology allows to predict with enough accuracy the production of a park several days in advance.

The wind turbines have a useful life between 20 and 25 years. This may vary according to the wind conditions of the site, the correct operation of the same and the maintenance that is given during this time.

Currently there are different technologies and powers of wind turbines. The following table represents different scales of wind generation

The wind is the result of changes in pressure and temperature in the atmosphere, which is used in wind turbines to produce electrical energy through the movement of their blades (kinetic energy). Wind turbines are capable of transforming the thrust of the wind into mechanical energy of rotation. This allows the rotor to rotate inside a stator, in what is known as an electric generator. The system of conversion of the push of the wind to electricity, essentially comprises an electric generator, driven by the movement of the blades, control systems and electrical connection, either to the network or to the point of consumption.

The construction of a wind farm depends to a large extent on the capacity that will be installed. Likewise, other factors intervene such as the orography of the site, the temporality of the wind, the distance to the point of interconnection, etc. On average, it can be considered that a medium or large park could be built within a period of 12 to 18 months, once all the previous studies and the necessary procedures have been completed. From the selection of the site to the start-up of the wind farm, approximately 4 years are required.

The cost of installing a wind farm in 2012 was in the range of US $ 1,740 / KW to US $ 2,000 / KW, integrated as follows:
 Wind turbines: 65%
 Connection to the Network: 11%
 Foundations and civil works: 15%
 Development and management of Construction: 9%

The levelized cost of energy is the main factor to describe and compare the economic behavior of a power generation project. In the case of wind energy, the levelized energy cost represents the sum of all costs related to a plant in operation during its useful life, discounting financial flows. The main components of the levelized cost of energy in a wind farm are:
• Capital Cost
• Cost of Operation and Maintenance
• Estimated Annual Production
The data obtained in operating plants from 2010 estimate a value of the level energy cost between US $ 0.068 / KWh and US $ 0.070 / KWh in countries with high wind resource, such as: United States, Sweden, Brazil and Mexico.

According to Greenpeace, studies show that out of every 10,000 bird deaths, less than one is caused by a wind turbine. In comparison cats cause an estimated 10 percent of bird deaths and almost 50 percent is caused by collisions with buildings or windows. For more information click here. Barrier effect: Birds adapt perfectly to the barriers placed in their environment. These birds can change the height and / or direction of your flight, which is fascinating. Being able to modify this, the birds can avoid areas that demonstrate to have a greater potential for collisions. Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing the flora and fauna, thanks to this the number of species that nest in Europe could fall by up to 40% Estimated annual mortality of birds in different situations:v 1) Buildings: 550 million
2) Transmission Lines: 130 million
3) Cats: 100 million
4) Automobiles: 80 million
5) Pesticides: 67 million
6) Communication Towers: 4.5 million
7) Wind turbines: 28,500
8) Aircraft: 25,000
9) Other sources (oil spills, fishing, etc ..): Not calculated

Wind power resource is plentyful and reliable in Mexico, which allows the creation of new and profitable wind power projects without any government subsidy, in contrast to other countries with an important amount of installed wind power energy.The risks of the project are assumed by the developers and investors.