Impacts on Landscape

One of the crucial environmental factors affecting wind energy social acceptance, especially at the community level, is landscape modification. Since wind energy plants require large areas of land, citizens may be highly concerned about their impacts on their familiar landscape, in particular when plants are located close to sensitive or protected areas.

At the same time, the negative attitude against the wind farm may depend not only on the location but also on some technical characteristics and design of the turbines. Reducing visual impacts (size, height, or design) of wind turbines by selecting the more appropriate technology is one of a number of measures that can be implemented to protect the local landscape and mitigate adverse reactions.

Otherwise in the wind farm planning phase, citizens/communities may negotiate compensating measures, which may be economic or social benefits, such as outdoor recreational spaces or cycling paths nearby the wind facility.

The WinWind project analysed how social acceptance can be affected by landscape modification concerns. Here below further readings:

10 Best Practice Cases dealing with landscape modification concerns
Synthesis and Comparative Analysis of Best Practice Case Studies for Promoting the Social Acceptance page 59

On social acceptance issues
Technical and socio-economic conditions pages 23-25