1. 31 January 2008 Erika de Visser Ecofys Netherlands
Social constraints
31 January 2008
Erika de Visser
Ecofys Netherlands

2. Content of presentation
Aim of the work
Acceptance of wind energy
Visual impact on the landscape
Noise
Institutional conditions
Economic support schemes
Planning policies
Conclusions

3. Aim of the work
Identify how social acceptance might hamper the development of wind energy in the EU-30.
Acceptance on local level (visual, noise impacts)
Acceptance on national level (support policies & planning for wind)
A precondition for successful deployment of wind is that the public and planning authorities accept the technology

4. Local: Visual impacts
Effect of siting turbines on the visual or aesthetic properties of the surroundings – perception of landscape amenity
Onshore
Type of landscape
Configuration (size, number, …)
Offshore
Distance to the coast (visual impact at negligible at 8km distance)

5. Local: Noise impacts Two sources of sound:
Mechanical
Aerodynamic
How noisy are wind turbines?
Background noise (low density areas  industrial areas)
Background noise of the wind itself
Mitigation of noise problems from wind turbines:
Minimum distance between wind turbine project and nearest residence

6. Local: other concerns Environmental impacts: Financial impacts:
Shadow flickering or reflected light on rotating of wind turbine blades
Birds
Land use (1% of the land area)
Financial impacts:
Perceived negative impact on residential property values
Two important conclusions from RICS study (2007):
>1 mile: no change in property prices
<1 mile: negative impact most noticeable for detached and semi-detached houses

7. Local: public attitude surveys
In countries that exploit largest wind power resources, support for wind power is relatively high
Public acceptance tends to increase when wind farms are implemented -> U-shape
People that live near wind turbines are more in favour than the general public

8. Public support of wind energy
Public involvement:
Three ways: information, involvement in the decision making process, financial involvement
Good practices: community wind in Germany and Denmark
Careful siting of wind turbines:
Consideration of the landscape: simple geometrical patterns in flat areas, following contours of the landscape in mountainous areas
No optimal solution in terms of formation, number and size

9. National: support schemes
Tenders
Certificate systems
Quota obligation SI
Fiscal
incentives
Feed-in tariffs SK PL CY
(LA) CZ LT MT HU EE BG RO BE UK IT SE IE FI AT DK FR DE ES PT LU GR NL

10. Institutional conditions
Good practices of planning frameworks:
Germany: spatial planning of wind farms on federal level
France: “prior-to-planning” guidelines, where communities are forced to appoint zones for wind developments
Planning guidelines
SEI (Ireland): guidelines for wind farm development

11. Overall conclusions
Local acceptance of wind is rather subjective and new wind projects will continue to meet resistance in the future
National and local governments have important roles in developing a vision on wind turbine siting
A range of wind energy support policies are in place – feed-in tariffs have proven to be effective in the countries with high deployment of wind energy (Denmark, Germany, Spain)
Planning frameworks become crucial with more wind capacity to be implemented