Analysis of offshore wind energy and solar photovoltaic production and its relationship with regional electricity demand in the Yucatan peninsula

Mexico has set an ambitious target to produce 50% of its energy from clean sources by the year 2050. Although there is an abundance of solar and wind resources, research on the temporal and spatial variability of renewable energies in relation to specific regional electricity demand is limited. This paper studies the regional complementarity of offshore wind power (OWP) and inland solar PV technologies to satisfy the corresponding regional electric demand from 2016 to 2020. OWP and solar PV were modeled using the ERA5 reanalysis data to estimate power production and capacity factors, and an installed capacity was proposed to satisfy regional demand in different proportions. The study suggests that daily and seasonal analyses are appropriate for examining electricity demand and its relationship with renewable energy production. The Spearman correlation coefficient is a useful tool for identifying complementary between resources. The mix of OWP and solar PV provides a sustainable solution for the Yucatan Peninsula to achieve high levels of penetration of renewable energy using mature technologies. The proposed scenarios provide an initial framework for planning the development of the regional energy sector. • Wind and solar PV technologies are a feasible solution on the Yucatan Peninsula. • Daily, weekly, and annual time scales are suitable for performing the analysis. • Spearman coefficient is a robust complementarity indicator over time. • Data reanalysis is a valuable tool for performing dynamic variable analysis. • Proposed installed capacities can supply 50 and 80% of the electrical demand.