Assessment of Wind and Solar Power Potential and Their Temporal Complementarity in China’s Northwestern Provinces: Insights from ERA5 Reanalysis

Wei Fang, Cheng Yang, Dengfeng Liu (), Qiang Huang, Bo Ming, Long Cheng, Lu Wang, Gang Feng and Jianan Shang
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Wei Fang: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, School of Water Resources and Hydropower, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China
Cheng Yang: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, School of Water Resources and Hydropower, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China
Dengfeng Liu: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, School of Water Resources and Hydropower, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China
Qiang Huang: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, School of Water Resources and Hydropower, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China
Bo Ming: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, School of Water Resources and Hydropower, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China
Long Cheng: PowerChina Northwest Engineering Corporation Limited, Xi’an 710065, China
Lu Wang: Beijing IWHR Corporation, Beijing 100048, China
Gang Feng: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, School of Water Resources and Hydropower, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China
Jianan Shang: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, School of Water Resources and Hydropower, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-23

Abstract: In the quest to scientifically develop power systems increasingly reliant on renewable energy sources, the potential and temporal complementarity of wind and solar power in China’s northwestern provinces necessitated a systematic assessment. Using ERA5 reanalysis data for wind speed and solar irradiance, an evaluation was carried out to determine the potential and spatial distribution of wind and solar power across these provinces. Land use types and terrestrial surface slopes were considered in gauging this potential. Theoretical wind and solar power outputs were then compared to understand their complementarity on annual, monthly, and hourly temporal scales. This exploration utilized methodologies including rank correlation coefficients, crossover frequency analysis, and standard deviation complementarity rates. Areas such as the Tarim Basin, Jungar Basin, and the northeastern part of Xinjiang, northwestern Qinghai, and northern Gansu were identified as having significant wind and solar power potential, with wind power densities reaching as high as 600 W/m 2 and solar irradiance surpassing 2000 kWh/m 2 . In these energy-rich areas, the distinct complementarity between theoretical wind and solar outputs was discerned. On an annual scale, the complementarity appeared weakest, with only 7.48% of the combined provinces’ area showing medium-level complementarity. On a monthly scale, conversely, a pronounced complementarity was displayed, especially during the March–May and October–November periods. When evaluated on an hourly basis, an impressive 63.63% of the total output duration exhibited complementary characteristics.

Keywords: wind power density; solar irradiance; wind and solar power potential; theoretical power output; multi-scale complementarity; northwestern provinces of China; ERA5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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