The wind-solar hybrid energy could serve as a stable power source at multiple time scale in China mainland

Abstract

The instability of wind and solar power hinders their penetration into electrical transmission networks. Hybrid wind-solar power generation can mitigate the instability of wind or solar power. However, research on complementary methods and the temporal distribution of wind and solar energies remains insufficient. In this study, well-validated and used high-resolution reanalysis data were used to explore the complementarity between wind and solar power on multiple time scales across China mainland. Researchers have found that wind and solar energies are strongly complementary from seasonal to hourly time scales. Wind-solar hybrid power generation can increase the availability of renewable energy by 15%–25 %, and a continuous renewable power supply can be achieved during daytime hours. In addition, the authors found that the complementary strength between wind and solar power could be enhanced by adjusting their proportions. This study highlights that hybrid wind-solar systems can provide a stable energy source. The complementary deployment of wind and solar energies should be considered in future applications.