Analyses of Wind Energy Economy and the Environment

Experiences with wind energy development, planning and public acceptance in Denmark Bernd Möller, Ph.D. Sustainable Energy Planning & Management Group Department of Development and Planning Aalborg University, Denmark

History of wind energy development PJ

3.500

7.000

3.000

6.000

2.500

5.000

2.000

4.000

1.500

3.000

1.000

2.000

500

1.000

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1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

Capacity [MW] (left axis)

1997

2000

2003

2006

Number (right axis)

About 5,300 turbines produce 20 % of the national electricity demand. Decommissioning of ageing turbines currently decreases production. Data source: Danish Energy Authority, 2008

Elements of Danish wind energy policy • • • • •

Long term national energy plans Fixed feed-in tariff system Promotion of local ownership, cooperatives Spatial planning on local and regional levels Fostering of new technologies

Problems associated to wind energy in DK

• Most land-based locations occupied or unsuitable • Planning requirements are tightened • Increasing turbine size aggravates visibility problem • Growing local resistance against wind power projects • Structural changes (tariffs, ownership etc)

• New legislation to compensate for loss of property value

Chances for future wind energy • • • •

Offshore: yes, but at high costs and risks 3 West coast municipalities may show the way Re-invention of re-powering schemes Rejuvenated interest in local and cooperate ownership, even off shore • Continued build of mid-range turbines (2MW) economically and socially feasible • Municipal ownership an overseen chance.

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Thy: Energy and nature

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Kilometers

1,000 kW

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• Very rural • Site of first national park • 240 turbines cover 70% of demand • The region is almost CO2 neutral (excl. transport) • Local owners; income and acceptance • Wind energy is part of tourism promotion.

Elevation High

15

20 Low

Data sources: Danish Energy Authority; KMS; MIM, all 2008

Wind energy and landscapes

• Connotation with the environment / being green • Iconic for sustainable development • Valuable landscapes deemed unsuitable for visibility reasons • On a local scale neighbours play a certain role (NIMBY) • Visibility assessment is mandatory, yet not on a regional scale

Increasing size 140

Average total height [m]

Bubble area proportional to number of turbines 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1977

1982

1987

1992

1997

2002

2007

Year of installation

Data source: Danish Energy Authority, 2008

The advantage of upscaling (EWEA, 2006)

Number of turbines

Ownership

Cooperative ownership involves local people economically and hence improves local acceptance. The good experiences with neighbour ownership point towards commonly managed wind resources as a good solution. Data source: EMD International, 2007

Distributed investments

Investments in wind energy are well distributed in the country and not necessarily in rural areas alone, which is positive for social acceptance in population. Statistics on a 10 x 10 km grid.

Data sources: EMD.dk and Statistics Denmark

Wind energy planning in Denmark

• In the early days permissions to erect turbines were given without much regulation and with no common planning framework. • Since 1995 a nation-wide planning framework has been established. • Municipalities have the planning authority for new wind turbines. • Turbines are located in favourable wind regimes, but only where little impact on neighbours can be expected. • A thorough planning process looks into all aspects of location in a democratic way. • A mandatory EIA follows, concluded (Wind power planning zones around Aalborg, AIS) by a local plan.

Dynamic wind energy landscapes • The visual impact of wind turbines as landscape elements has to be seen dynamically • Turbines grow in size, rotational speed decreases • Turbines are erected in changing patterns • Spatial planning is adjusted to development • Public planning also has a learning curve! • Cautiously expressed, people may get used to turbines in landscapes.

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Wind energy development in Denmark through the times 1985: 1990: 1995: 2005: 2000: 774 2,570 3,553 5,286 6,236 turbines turbines 44 317 589 3,127 2,389 MW MW MW 20% 0.2 2 4 13%% % of of of of power power power power production production production production ^^

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Data source: Danish Energy Authority, 2007

Spatial analyses of wind energy economy and the environment • • • •

Temporal cumulative viewshed analysis of wind turbines Intervisibility analysis of landscape openness. Wind energy production and its spatial distribution The costs to society (socio-economic costs) of utilising the wind resource • Turbine ownership and proximity • A combination of wind power production, wind power economy and environmental impact is carried out on a regional / national scale.

The study area

Data sources: EEA, 2005; KMS, 2007

Visibility during times

Data sources: KMS, 2007; Danish Energy Authority, 2008

Intervisibility to model landscape openness

How much of a landscape can be seen from everywhere else? Visual landscape openness may assist regional planning. Data sources: KMS, 2007; Danish Energy Authority, 2008

Intervisibility and wind energy economy Relative turbine visibility

low high

Production costs

low high

The best locations for wind energy are not necessarily the most visible. Data sources: KMS, 2007; EMD International, 2001

Intervisibility and proximity Relative turbine visibility

low high

Weighted proximity

low high

Most wind turbines are located in areas with moderate visibility; few large utility-owned parks have a high cumulative weighted impact. Data sources: KMS, 2007; Danish Energy Authority, 2008

Conclusions • Wind energy landscapes are dynamic – turbine development and their lifespan included • Technology development must not accelerate more than public view on landscapes • Local involvement in planning as well as economically by local ownership is crucial to create acceptance • The economy must be right: – feed-in tariffs for low risk investments – cooperative or public ownership for low interest rate – geographical spreading of investments for better acceptance and lower system costs.

• The dilemma of scale economies and scale impact must be dealt with.

Please visit www.energyplanning.aau.dk for information on the international M.Sc. Programme

Sustainable Energy Planning & Management and www.unigeo.dk for information on the Geography Programme

at Aalborg University, Denmark