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

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.