Jürgen Meyerhoff
Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin,Germany Germany
Martin Drechsler
UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
Download article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3384/ecp110574136Published in: World Renewable Energy Congress - Sweden; 8-13 May; 2011; Linköping; Sweden
Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 57:12, p. 4136-4144
Published: 2011-11-03
ISBN: 978-91-7393-070-3
ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)
Wind power is one of the most promising options for producing energy in a climate-friendly manner. However; besides its environmental benefits wind power generation causes externalities such as impacts on humans and biodiversity. All studies conducted so far show that these externalities can be substantial. The question is how this knowledge translates into a welfare-optimal spatial allocation of turbines that needs to consider both production and external costs. We present a modeling approach for the determination of the welfare-optimal spatial allocation of wind turbines (WT) and apply it to the planning region West Saxony in Germany. The approach combines choice experiments; a non-market valuation method used to measure externalities of wind power; and spatially explicit ecological-economic modeling within an optimization framework. Optimal is understood here as producing a given amount of wind power at lowest social costs. Social costs comprise (i) externalities measured by the (monetized) impact of WT on biodiversity; the distance of the WT to settlements; the height of the WT and size of wind farms; and (ii) the construction and operating costs associated with the WT. We show that the social costs of wind power production can be reduced substantially if externalities are taking into account.
Choice experiment; externality; modeling; spatial allocation; welfare-optimal; wind power
[1] E. Hau; Wind Turbines. Fundamentals; Technology; Application; Economics. Springer; Berlin/Heidelberg; Germany; 2006.
[2] C.L. Krause; Our visual landscape: Managing the landscape under special consideration of visual aspects. Landscape and Urban Planning 54; 2001; pp. 239-254.
doi: 10.1016/S0169-2046(01)00139-6.
[3] B. Möller; Changing wind-power landscapes: regional assessment of visual impact on land use and population in Northern Jutland; Denmark. Applied Energy 83; 2006; pp. 477-494.
doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2005.04.004.
[4] H. Hötker; K.M. Thomsen; H. Jeromin; H.; Impacts on biodiversity of exploitation of renewable energy sources: the example of birds and bats – facts; gaps in knowledge; demands for further research; and ornithological guidelines for the development of renewable energy exploitation. Michael-Otto-Institut im NABU; Bergenhusen; Germany; 2006 (http://www.batsandwind.org/pdf/impacts%20on%20biodiversity%20of%20renewable%20energy.pdf).
[5] J. Bright; R. Langston; R. Bullman; R.; Evans; S. Gardener; J. Pearce-Higgins; Map of bird sensitivities to wind farms in Scotland: A tool to aid planning and conservation; Biological Conservation 141; 2008; pp. 2342-2356.
doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2008.06.029.
[6] B. Álvarez-Farizo; N. Hanley; Using conjoint analysis to quantify public preferences over the environmental impacts of wind farms. An example from Spain; Energy Policy 30; 2002; pp. 107-116.
doi: 10.1016/S0301-4215(01)00063-5.
[7] K. Ek; Quantifying the environmental impacts of renewable energy: The case of Swedish wind power; in: D. Pearce D. (Ed.); Environmental Valuation in Developed Countries: Case Studies. Edward Elgar; Cheltenham; 2006; pp. 181-210.
[8] A. Dimitropoulos; A. Kontoleon; Assessing the determinants of local acceptability of wind farm investment: a choice experiment in the Greek Islands. University of Cambridge; UK; Department of Land Economics; Environmental Economy and Policy Research Working Paper No. 35.2008.
[9] J. Meyerhoff; C. Ohl; V. Hartje; Landscape externalities from onshore wind power. Energy Policy 38; 2010; pp. 82-92.
doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2009.08.055.
[10] M.J. Punt; R.A. Groeneveld; E.C. van Ierland; J.H. Stel; Spatial planning of offshore wind farms: a windfall to marine environmental protection? Ecological Economics 69; 2009; pp. 93-103.
doi: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2009.07.013.
[11] J. Ladenburg; Onshore and offshore locations for wind power development – what does the public prefer and should it matter? Modern Energy Review 1; 2009; pp. 32-34.
[12] M. Eichhorn; M. Drechsler; Spatial trade-offs between wind power production and bird collision avoidance in agricultural landscapes; Ecology and Society 15; 2010 [online] URL: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol15/iss2/art10/.
[13] J.J. Louviere; D.A. Hensher; J.D. Swait; Stated Choice Methods. Analysis and Application. Cambgridge University Press. Cambridge; 2000.
doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511753831.
[14] M. Schmitt; F. Dosch; E. Bergmann; Flächeninanspruchnahme durch Windkraftanlagen. Berichte aus Forschung und Praxis. Raumforschung und Raumordnung 64/5; 2006; pp. 405-412.
doi: 10.1007/BF03184535.