The Mexican energy industry is beginning to explore an energy efficiency model that eliminates the need to allocate capital to equipment purchases , although it does involve long-term contractual commitments. Under this model, Atera Energy finances, installs, operates, and maintains the assets, while the client pays only for the energy or service actually received.
The proposal, called Energy as a Service , includes 12- or 15-year contracts and aims to optimize between 30% and 60% of the energy consumed by industrial facilities. The service can cover electricity, compressed air, cooling, or heating, depending on the characteristics of each production process.
“ We sign contracts for 12 or 15 years and deliver energy to our industrial clients, whether it be kilowatts, compressed air, or BTUs ,” explained Luis Felipe Vélez , CEO of Atera Energy, during his participation in the Future Energy Summit (FES) Mexico .
The financial advantage lies in the fact that the company assumes the initial outlay and retains ownership of the installed infrastructure . In this way, the industry does not tie up its own resources in new energy assets and transforms a capital investment into payments associated with the service.
“ We are asset owners and asset managers. We not only make the investment, but we also own, operate, and maintain it ,” Vélez said.
This approach shifts some of the risk associated with the design, performance, operation, and maintenance of the systems to the supplier. The customer, for their part, remains obligated to pay for the energy supplied during the agreed period.
It is worth remembering that Mexico's large industrial consumers are undergoing a process of redefining their electricity supply schemes , in parallel with the search for solutions that reduce costs, emissions and exposure to capital-intensive investments.
Load centers that are part of self-supply companies can evaluate their migration to the models provided for in the new electricity framework. Among the alternatives is their registration as Qualified Users , applicable to demands equal to or greater than 1 MW , to contract Qualified Supply in the Wholesale Electricity Market. They can also exclude their loads from legacy companies and opt for Basic Supply from the Federal Electricity Commission.
A $6.5 million investment in Mexico
Atera has already implemented the model at a glass company with operations in Mexico , where it carried out a technological upgrade of its compressed air system. The project began with measurement studies aimed at identifying losses and efficiency opportunities within the plant.
The company invested approximately $6.5 million and oversaw the equipment replacement. The system became operational a few weeks before its presentation at the industry event.
This case study illustrates how the model extends beyond the installation of solar panels. Industrial energy efficiency also encompasses critical auxiliary services , such as compressed air, refrigeration, heating, and energy storage.
These systems typically have a direct impact on a factory's operating costs. However, their modernization can require significant investment, specialized technical knowledge, and resources dedicated to maintenance throughout their lifespan.
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“ What we developed to drive this forward is a highly innovative business model where we identify where we can help clients optimize their energy consumption. We design the solutions, make the investments, and offer an 'Energy as a Service' model ,” the CEO explained.
According to the executive, this mechanism allows for optimizations of between 30% and 60% in the energy consumed by the systems being addressed. The percentage depends on the existing technology, the plant's operational profile, and the opportunities identified during the measurements. The impact must be analyzed for each system, process, and contract , since the results depend on the starting point and the scope of the implemented solution.
From self-generation to internal processes
Atera was founded ten years ago in Colombia within Celsia , a public utility company with a regional presence. Since then, the firm has developed projects to support industrial clients in reducing their energy consumption and implementing their decarbonization strategies.
“ We have over 200 MW installed in several Latin American countries with industrial self-generation projects. Now we are installing 80 MW of battery storage also for industrial services ,” Vélez explained.
The portfolio includes distributed generation, storage, thermal solutions to optimize heating and cooling, and compressed air systems. “ We do this in Colombia, Panama, Honduras, and now in Mexico, where we already have clients with compressed air systems operating here in the country ,” stated the CEO.
The entry into Mexico occurs in a context where distributed generation is already familiar to a large portion of industrial users. However, direct intervention in internal factory processes presents greater technical and cultural barriers .
According to Vélez, engineering managers show more openness when it comes to photovoltaic solutions, but may show resistance when a third party intends to operate systems directly linked to production.
“ When we talk about entering the production plants, doing technological reconversion, let's say there are some technical barriers from the local engineering teams, a bit of fear of letting go of processes within their production system ,” he acknowledged.
To overcome this barrier, Atera uses its accumulated experience with clients and the service levels established in each contract as a benchmark. The company claims to have 550 clients , which serve as operational support for new projects.
The proposal therefore requires a deeper relationship than a traditional technology purchase. The industrialist must evaluate not only the expected savings, but also the duration of the agreement, availability guarantees, penalties, measurement criteria, and liability in the event of an interruption.
From the supplier's perspective, a long-term contract allows them to recoup their investment and maintain the operation of their assets. For the client, the appeal lies in avoiding the initial outlay and accessing technological modernization without allocating their own capital expenditure.
“ Let us remember that today the International Energy Agency considers energy efficiency as the number one fuel, because 60% of the energy generated in the world is lost, and that is where we act ,” he added.
Based on this premise, the model presented by Atera seeks to convert efficiency opportunities into bankable projects . The company provides the capital, manages the assets, and generates revenue through the contracted energy supply.