A new study coordinated by scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich research institute highlights how the visibility of renewable energy installations – such as wind turbines and solar panels – has an impact on their level of public acceptance and the costs of the energy transition in Germany.
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Many people do not wish to see renewable energy installations in their everyday lives. Wind turbines in particular are often seen as “eyesoresâ€. However, they are essential for a climate-neutral future.
The researchers therefore took a closer look at two factors for potential locations: scenic beauty and population density. Would it be possible to keep wind turbines and solar panels away from densely populated areas and particularly beautiful landscapes? And what costs would be involved?
“Beauty is subjective, of course,†says co-author Jann Weinand. “But how people assess the beauty of a landscape can be evaluated using surveys and statistical methods.â€
Such an evaluation was performed in a 2018 study. As part of the study, over 3,500 people were asked to rate the beauty of landscapes in several hundred photos. “We used this evaluation as input for our study,†explains Weinand.
The second aspect the scientists looked at was population density. “The more densely populated an area is, the more people are affected by the impact of energy installations,†explains Weinand’s colleague Tsamara Tsani.
“Balcony solar panels can of course be found in large cities, but larger solar installations are typically not possible. And wind turbines can usually only be found on the outskirts of large cities.â€
Using state-of-the-art mapping tools, the researchers analysed from which locations in Germany potential future wind and solar power installations would be seen.
They then simulated energy system plans in which these installations were not erected in locations where they could be visible from picturesque landscapes or busy cities.
The results:
• Avoiding visibility only from the most beautiful or most populated areas had almost no impact on energy system costs..
• However, if wind turbines and ground-mounted solar installations were removed completely from view – including in the vicinity of small- and medium-sized towns and villages and less attractive landscapes, the costs in the energy sector could rise by up to 38 % (€ 24 billion) per year by 2045.
In Germany, the expansion of renewable energy to date has rarely taken place in the vicinity of densely populated or particularly beautiful landscapes. This has either been a deliberate decision or due to the space available.
“Only 3 % of existing wind turbines are visible from the most beautiful areas, and only 2 % of photovoltaic systems,†says Weinand. It is a similar situation in densely populated areas.
However, much of the renewable expansion is still to come.
“This study provides policymakers with a tool for smarter planning,†says Weinand. “They can respect scenic areas and densely populated regions without placing an unnecessary financial burden on cities and municipalities – if they act strategically.†■