IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v401y2025ipas0306261925013303.html

Wind-solar complementarity in the Northwest Pacific: Implications for renewable energy planning and policy guidance

Author

Listed:
  • Yuan, Xingzhi
  • Wei, Yanji
  • Yang, Hongxing

Abstract

This work investigates the wind-solar complementarity characteristics over large-scale marine regions, with the aim of offering potential planning and policy insights for the integrated development of marine energy. The study first examines the optimal installed capacity proportion of wind and solar energy in various regions based on the coefficient of variation to minimize power output fluctuations. Building upon this premise, the output fluctuation characteristics of wind-solar hybrid systems are quantitatively analyzed through metrics including power change rate, the frequency of extreme events, and the proportion of generated power. A multidimensional comparative analysis highlights the advantages of wind-solar complementarity utilization while also underscoring the need for adequate storage and flexible generation capacity–an insight crucial for decision-makers planning large-scale deployments. Furthermore, the study examines the limitations of wind-solar complementarity by focusing on the frequency and varying durations of zero-output events, which are caused by meteorological conditions with neither wind nor sunlight, thereby uncovering the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of these constraints across broad geographical scales. Research conducted in the Northwest Pacific region demonstrates that wind-solar complementary utilization can effectively reduce power output fluctuations, bringing the frequency of extreme events below 10 % in most areas. However, in equatorial regions where solar resources dominate, zero-output events lasting 13 consecutive hours can exceed 30 %, highlighting the necessity of robust energy storage or cross-regional power exchange. These findings are expected to contribute preliminary insights for decision-makers in formulating policies that support strategic storage deployment and enhanced system interconnectivity, with the goal of promoting both economic viability and reliable operation of large-scale wind-solar projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuan, Xingzhi & Wei, Yanji & Yang, Hongxing, 2025. "Wind-solar complementarity in the Northwest Pacific: Implications for renewable energy planning and policy guidance," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 401(PA).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:401:y:2025:i:pa:s0306261925013303
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126600
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261925013303
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126600?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Prasad, Abhnil A. & Taylor, Robert A. & Kay, Merlinde, 2017. "Assessment of solar and wind resource synergy in Australia," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 354-367.
    2. Ulazia, Alain & Sáenz, Jon & Ibarra-Berastegi, Gabriel & González-Rojí, Santos J. & Carreno-Madinabeitia, Sheila, 2019. "Global estimations of wind energy potential considering seasonal air density changes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    3. Dongsheng Zheng & Dan Tong & Steven J. Davis & Yue Qin & Yang Liu & Ruochong Xu & Jin Yang & Xizhe Yan & Guannan Geng & Huizheng Che & Qiang Zhang, 2024. "Climate change impacts on the extreme power shortage events of wind-solar supply systems worldwide during 1980–2022," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Hu, Zheng & Wang, Jianhui & Byrne, John & Kurdgelashvili, Lado, 2013. "Review of wind power tariff policies in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 41-50.
    5. Kaldellis, J.K. & Apostolou, D. & Kapsali, M. & Kondili, E., 2016. "Environmental and social footprint of offshore wind energy. Comparison with onshore counterpart," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 543-556.
    6. Zappa, William & van den Broek, Machteld, 2018. "Analysing the potential of integrating wind and solar power in Europe using spatial optimisation under various scenarios," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 1192-1216.
    7. van Zalk, John & Behrens, Paul, 2018. "The spatial extent of renewable and non-renewable power generation: A review and meta-analysis of power densities and their application in the U.S," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 83-91.
    8. Costoya, X. & deCastro, M. & Carvalho, D. & Gómez-Gesteira, M., 2023. "Assessing the complementarity of future hybrid wind and solar photovoltaic energy resources for North America," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    9. Ren, Guorui & Wan, Jie & Liu, Jinfu & Yu, Daren, 2019. "Spatial and temporal assessments of complementarity for renewable energy resources in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 262-275.
    10. Gao, Qiang & Yuan, Rui & Ertugrul, Nesimi & Ding, Boyin & Hayward, Jennifer A. & Li, Ye, 2023. "Analysis of energy variability and costs for offshore wind and hybrid power unit with equivalent energy storage system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 342(C).
    11. Gao, Qiang & Hayward, Jennifer A. & Sergiienko, Nataliia & Khan, Salman Saeed & Hemer, Mark & Ertugrul, Nesimi & Ding, Boyin, 2024. "Detailed mapping of technical capacities and economics potential of offshore wind energy: A case study in South-eastern Australia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PA).
    12. Natalia Gonzalez & Paul Serna-Torre & Pedro A. Sánchez-Pérez & Ryan Davidson & Bryan Murray & Martin Staadecker & Julia Szinai & Rachel Wei & Daniel M. Kammen & Deborah A. Sunter & Patricia Hidalgo-Go, 2024. "Offshore wind and wave energy can reduce total installed capacity required in zero-emissions grids," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    13. Pacheco, A. & Gorbeña, E. & Sequeira, C. & Jerez, S., 2017. "An evaluation of offshore wind power production by floatable systems: A case study from SW Portugal," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 239-250.
    14. Monforti, F. & Huld, T. & Bódis, K. & Vitali, L. & D'Isidoro, M. & Lacal-Arántegui, R., 2014. "Assessing complementarity of wind and solar resources for energy production in Italy. A Monte Carlo approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 576-586.
    15. Yamani Douzi Sorkhabi, Sami & Romero, David A. & Yan, Gary Kai & Gu, Michelle Dao & Moran, Joaquin & Morgenroth, Michael & Amon, Cristina H., 2016. "The impact of land use constraints in multi-objective energy-noise wind farm layout optimization," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 359-370.
    16. Jurasz, Jakub & Beluco, Alexandre & Canales, Fausto A., 2018. "The impact of complementarity on power supply reliability of small scale hybrid energy systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 737-743.
    17. Philip J. Heptonstall & Robert J. K. Gross, 2021. "A systematic review of the costs and impacts of integrating variable renewables into power grids," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 72-83, January.
    18. Siyal, Shahid Hussain & Mörtberg, Ulla & Mentis, Dimitris & Welsch, Manuel & Babelon, Ian & Howells, Mark, 2015. "Wind energy assessment considering geographic and environmental restrictions in Sweden: A GIS-based approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 447-461.
    19. Gangopadhyay, Anasuya & Seshadri, Ashwin K. & Patil, Balachandra, 2024. "Wind-solar-storage trade-offs in a decarbonizing electricity system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 353(PA).
    20. Berger, Mathias & Radu, David & Fonteneau, Raphaël & Henry, Robin & Glavic, Mevludin & Fettweis, Xavier & Le Du, Marc & Panciatici, Patrick & Balea, Lucian & Ernst, Damien, 2020. "Critical time windows for renewable resource complementarity assessment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    21. Zhang, Hengxu & Cao, Yongji & Zhang, Yi & Terzija, Vladimir, 2018. "Quantitative synergy assessment of regional wind-solar energy resources based on MERRA reanalysis data," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 172-182.
    22. Tu, Yu & Chen, Yaoran & Zhang, Kai & He, Ruiyang & Han, Zhaolong & Zhou, Dai, 2025. "A multi-fidelity framework for power prediction of wind farm under yaw misalignment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 377(PC).
    23. Yuan, Xingzhi & Wei, Yanji & Yang, Hongxing, 2025. "Does the ocean have better suitability for wind–solar energy complementarity than land? A regional study in East Asia," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    24. Hoicka, Christina E. & Rowlands, Ian H., 2011. "Solar and wind resource complementarity: Advancing options for renewable electricity integration in Ontario, Canada," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 97-107.
    25. Duffy, Aidan & Hand, Maureen & Wiser, Ryan & Lantz, Eric & Dalla Riva, Alberto & Berkhout, Volker & Stenkvist, Maria & Weir, David & Lacal-Arántegui, Roberto, 2020. "Land-based wind energy cost trends in Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and the United States," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    26. Sarah Feron & Raúl R. Cordero & Alessandro Damiani & Robert B. Jackson, 2021. "Climate change extremes and photovoltaic power output," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 4(3), pages 270-276, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xiaomei Ma & Yongqian Liu & Jie Yan & Han Wang, 2023. "A WGAN-GP-Based Scenarios Generation Method for Wind and Solar Power Complementary Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-20, March.
    2. Berger, Mathias & Radu, David & Fonteneau, Raphaël & Henry, Robin & Glavic, Mevludin & Fettweis, Xavier & Le Du, Marc & Panciatici, Patrick & Balea, Lucian & Ernst, Damien, 2020. "Critical time windows for renewable resource complementarity assessment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    3. Abhnil Prasad & Merlinde Kay, 2025. "Mapping Solar–Wind Complementarity with BARRA," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-21, October.
    4. Henao, Felipe & Viteri, Juan P. & Rodríguez, Yeny & Gómez, Juan & Dyner, Isaac, 2020. "Annual and interannual complementarities of renewable energy sources in Colombia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    5. Wei Sun & Sam Harrison & Gareth P. Harrison, 2020. "Value of Local Offshore Renewable Resource Diversity for Network Hosting Capacity," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-20, November.
    6. Canales, Fausto A. & Jurasz, Jakub & Beluco, Alexandre & Kies, Alexander, 2020. "Assessing temporal complementarity between three variable energy sources through correlation and compromise programming," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    7. Jani, Hardik K. & Kachhwaha, Surendra Singh & Nagababu, Garlapati & Das, Alok, 2022. "Temporal and spatial simultaneity assessment of wind-solar energy resources in India by statistical analysis and machine learning clustering approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    8. Jurasz, Jakub & Beluco, Alexandre & Canales, Fausto A., 2018. "The impact of complementarity on power supply reliability of small scale hybrid energy systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 737-743.
    9. Neto, Pedro Bezerra Leite & Saavedra, Osvaldo R. & Oliveira, Denisson Q., 2020. "The effect of complementarity between solar, wind and tidal energy in isolated hybrid microgrids," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P1), pages 339-355.
    10. Jonasson, Erik & Temiz, Irina, 2026. "Evaluating complementarity: A review of metrics and their implications for hybrid renewable energy systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 226(PD).
    11. Prasad, Abhnil Amtesh & Yang, Yuqing & Kay, Merlinde & Menictas, Chris & Bremner, Stephen, 2021. "Synergy of solar photovoltaics-wind-battery systems in Australia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    12. Lindberg, O. & Lingfors, D. & Arnqvist, J., 2022. "Analyzing the mechanisms behind temporal correlation between power sources using frequency separated time scales: A Swedish case study on PV and wind," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    13. Karl Ezra S. Pilario & Jessa A. Ibañez & Xaviery N. Penisa & Johndel B. Obra & Carl Michael F. Odulio & Joey D. Ocon, 2022. "Spatio-Temporal Solar–Wind Complementarity Assessment in the Province of Kalinga-Apayao, Philippines Using Canonical Correlation Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-12, March.
    14. Gao, Yang & Ma, Shaoxiu & Wang, Tao & Miao, Changhong & Yang, Fan, 2022. "Distributed onshore wind farm siting using intelligent optimization algorithm based on spatial and temporal variability of wind energy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    15. Liu, Laibao & Wang, Zheng & Wang, Yang & Wang, Jun & Chang, Rui & He, Gang & Tang, Wenjun & Gao, Ziqi & Li, Jiangtao & Liu, Changyi & Zhao, Lin & Qin, Dahe & Li, Shuangcheng, 2020. "Optimizing wind/solar combinations at finer scales to mitigate renewable energy variability in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    16. Ren, Guorui & Wan, Jie & Liu, Jinfu & Yu, Daren, 2019. "Spatial and temporal assessments of complementarity for renewable energy resources in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 262-275.
    17. Africa Lopez-Rey & Severo Campinez-Romero & Rosario Gil-Ortego & Antonio Colmenar-Santos, 2019. "Evaluation of Supply–Demand Adaptation of Photovoltaic–Wind Hybrid Plants Integrated into an Urban Environment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-24, May.
    18. Wei Fang & Cheng Yang & Dengfeng Liu & Qiang Huang & Bo Ming & Long Cheng & Lu Wang & Gang Feng & Jianan Shang, 2023. "Assessment of Wind and Solar Power Potential and Their Temporal Complementarity in China’s Northwestern Provinces: Insights from ERA5 Reanalysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-23, October.
    19. Lv, Furong & Tang, Haiping, 2025. "Assessing the impact of climate change on the optimal solar–wind hybrid power generation potential in China: A focus on stability and complementarity," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    20. Karadöl, İsrafil & Yıldız, Ceyhun & Şekkeli, Mustafa, 2021. "Determining optimal spatial and temporal complementarity between wind and hydropower," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:401:y:2025:i:pa:s0306261925013303. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.