The government of Mexico City created a program that offers incentives to those who build, transform or adapt existing and/or future buildings to sustainable and energy-efficiency schemes.

Sustainable energy use in Mexico is also promoted through legal standards that focus on energy efficiency, and by the implementation of energy transition programs that finance efficient technology.

There are programs that focus on improving energy efficiency in Mexico and, although they do not necessarily target buildings, the Ministry of Energy (Secretaría de Energía) in Mexico has taken its first step in this issue by sponsoring the following two programs:

• The National Project for Energy Efficiency in Municipal Public Lighting (Proyecto Nacional de Eficiencia Energética en Alumbrado Público Municipal), which is operated by the National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy (Comisión Nacional para el Uso Eficiente de la Energía), targets the public sector in municipalities and is mostly urban-oriented.
• The Program for Funds and Company Energy Efficiency, also known as Company Eco-Credit (Programa de Ahorro y Eficiencia Energética Empresarial), is operated by the Trust Fund for Electric Energy Savings (Fideicomiso para el Ahorro de Energía Eléctrica) with resources coming from the Fund for Energy Transition and the Sustainable Use of Energy (Fondo para la Transición Energética y el Aprovechamiento Sustentable de la Energía). This program provides financing to consumers that have rates of two and three (commercial rates of low energy consumption) and that are small and medium companies with between one to 199 employees. This financing is focused on substituting inefficient electric equipment for energy-efficient equipment, such as commercial refrigeration, electric motors, air-conditioning, efficient lighting, and electrical substations.

The Mexican government is also involved in other programs that help promote energy efficiency. Among these is the program called “This is your home” (Esta es tu casa) in which the government financially aids people with a low income to buy, build or remodel homes on the condition that their residences are equipped with eco-technologies.

Recently, the federal government also approved two “special programs” in terms of the Planning Law (Ley de Planeación). These are (i) the National Program for Sustainable Use of Energy (Programa Nacional para el Aprovechamiento Sustentable de Energía) and (ii) the Special Program for the Development of Renewable Energy (Programa Especial para el Aprovechamiento de Energías Renovables), which is in accordance with the regime prior to the energy reform. These special programs are still mandatory for the federal government. Under the Energy Transition Law, these special programs have the same mandatory treatment and must be coordinated with a new planning document called the Transition Strategy to Promote the Use of Technologies and Cleaner Fuels.

These programs consist of targets, strategies and action lines that allow optimum use of energy in all processes and activities for its exploitation, production, transformation, distribution, and consumption. These programs also address important topics that promote and encourage energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy transition in the country, such as the following:

• Energy-efficiency programs
• Regulation of energy efficiency
• Cooperation mechanisms
• Institutional capacitation
• Culture in energy savings
• Investigation and technological research
• National targets for renewable energy, energy transition and energy efficiency
• Clean technologies to satisfy the power consumption requirements

Although the promotion of energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy transition is beginning to make waves throughout Mexico, an implementation strategy is still needed. For instance, the Certification Program for Sustainable Buildings in Mexico City was created to motivate and encourage people to build or refurbish, but professionals and entrepreneurs have complained that (i) only entities established by the program may advise during each stage of the construction process and (ii) the cost of implementation is high. As a result, potential investors have steered clear of using the program for their construction projects.