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European Wind Energy Conference EWEC 2006

AthensThursday, 2 March 2006

Winning hearts and minds Business & Policy Track / Session Code: DB2

Guidelines for Realization of Wind Plants and their Integration in the Territory

Authors: Alessandro Brusa and Cristian Lanfranconi – APER, Italy

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About APER - Italian Association of RES-E Producers

With its 260 members, APER acts as a non-profit association promoting a wider culture of renewable energy in respect of the environment and in the view of a fully sustainable development.APER is a surely relevant actor in the Italian renewable energy market, its form of association and its composition of producers guarantee the independence of the organisation and the representation of all forms and sizes of technology.

APER is the biggest Italian association within the category

•Producers > 260 •Plant > 400 •Power > 2.000 MW •Renewable energy yearly production > 7 TWh

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APER WORK

We collected experience from wind plant producers as well as local administrations, environmental associations and international scientificliterature.

Target is to offer a better understanding of wind energy to regional andlocal administrations as well as environmental associations

Many viewpoints need to be considered in realizing a wind plant:regulation, economic assessment, impact on environmental and landscape,community acceptance and associated infrastructures as electric net andpresence of roads

It is important realize that any wind plant has to be specifically plannedbecause of the individuality of the concerned land.

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APER WORK

We started our research concerning Guidelines for Realization of Wind Plants and their Integration in the Territory from Italian legislation and RE producer’s experience.

Italy show a complex orography which require a high degree of understanding of the land to integrate wind plants properly in the territory

From the Italian case some more general considerations can be elaborated

Viewpoint to be considered in realizing a wind plant

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We identified five sets of relevant issues

1. Identification of allowed, critical and forbidden area2. Technical requirements of the land3. Project and building issues4. Environmental and landscape issues5. Economic commitment

Target

Advices/Recommendations for realization of wind plants and their integrationinto the territory

Viewpoint to be considered in realizing a wind plant

• Regulation• Technical and economic assessment and exploitation of the wind energy source • Impact on the environment and on the landscape• Local community acceptance of the wind farm• Associated presence of infrastructures as electric net and roads

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Wind power evolution and growing diffusion of wind turbines on the land requires experts within wind industry to develop and use new concepts to fit wind plants properly in the environment in order to:

1. minimize and limit environmental impact of the wind plant

2. fit wind farms in the territory as welcome anthropic elements which increase the value of the land

It is important realize that any wind plant has to be specifically plannedbecause of the individuality of the concerned land.

General criteria for wind farm integration in the territory have do be focused and adapted to the local context.

Environmental and landscape impacts

• Impact on vegetation, flora, fauna, birds and ecosystem• Noise• Electromagnetic impact• Perturbation of the aerodynamic field• Interference for telecommunications• Visual impact in the landscape and integration in the territory

7Source: WKN Windkraft Nord AG (D)

Integration of wind plants in the

territory and landscape:

Flatland examples

Roter Berg – 4 * 1500 kWPorep – 31 * 2000 kW

Schonhagen – 10 – 1000 kW

8Source: http://www.industcards.com/wind-spain.htm

La Muela, Aragon – 132 * 750 kW

La Muela Aersa, Aragon – 27 * 600 kWSerra do Burgo, Orense – 19 * 850 kW

Integration of wind plants in the

territory and landscape:

Plateau examples

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Agricoltural areas

Fauna

Natural components

Inhabited areas

Infrastructures

Vegetation

Hydrography

Human components

Morphology

Integration of wind plants in the territory and landscape

The analysis should take care of a set of interacting natural and human components

Source: ICQ Group (Italy)

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Landscape impact due to:

•Number of blades and number of towers•Tower high and turbine size

A few big turbines rather than a lot smaller ones

Rotor movement has seen as a positive feature

Literature studies show that:

Source: ICQ Group (Italy)

11Source: internet

•missing observance of a minimum distance between aerogenerators and inhabited areas•very high density of wind turbines•missing observance of a minimum distance between aerogenerators themself•tubular versus lattice tower (elderly concept, on the background)•Plant design doesn’t take care of the peculiarities of the area

Analysis of the teaching examples:

Some teaching experiences from the past:

12Source: internet and Edison Energie Speciali (Italy)

Some positive examples from the gained experiences :

Breeding and…

…agricultural areas

13Source: internet

…industrial areas…

Some positive examples:

14Source: internet

…and tourist areas

Some positive examples:

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• low density of the towers

• tubular tower (no lattice one)

• integration with farming activities

• fauna not bothered by the wind farm

• correct fit of the plant on the environment

• wind park open to human activities and to the fauna

• design of the plant taking care of the peculiarities of the specific area

• correct fitting in an industrial area

• good message towards public opinion (wind plant and tourism)

Analysis of the positive examples:

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Is the plant planimetry sufficient in order to fit correctly the wind farm into the land? Usually it is not

Source: Capurso - APER (Italy)

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Potential area suitable for the plant

High slope wooded land with short transversal dimension

Free land

Example 1 in a complex land: two layout for one wind farm

Source: Studio Rinnovabili (Italy)

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Layout A is not recommended because shows the following issues:High impact as visual barrierUse of wooded landHigh slope areaShort transversal dimension close to mountain peak

Layout A

Source: Studio Rinnovabili (Italy)

X

25 towers

~ 2X

8 towers

Layout B is recommended because take care of land characteristics and mitigation strategies:Minimum distance between towers: 250-300 mLayout according with prevalent wind directionsExploitation of non wooded area

Layout B

Critical area

Analysis of the example n°1:

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Example 2 in a complex land: Final Layout and identification of the real static and dynamic visual points

Static Dynamic

Wind plant

Source: ICQ Group (Ialy)

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Identification of the zone of visual influence

66 towers 44 towers

Source: ICQ Group (Italy)

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Photomontage and rendering from different visual points

Planned wind farm

Source: ICQ Group (Italy)

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Mitigation measures of the impact on the landscape:•design of the plant taking care of the peculiarities of the specific area•underground cables•Respect of a minimum distance from buildings•Tower and blade typology and colour (latter or tubular)•Neutral colour and anti reflex painting for towers and blades•Signal for low-altitude flight just for more exposed towers taking care of safety requirements

Bird preservation measures:•Appropriate design (Tubular tower versus lattice one)•Make turbines and towers visible •Slow rotating turbines•Electrical cables to be laid down underground•Avoid migration corridors•Respect fauna breeding time

Some mitigation criteria

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Specific measures in order to mitigate the impact of the wind farms on the territory and on the flora are:

•control erosion•Steadiness of the declivities•minimize modifications of the habitat during building and working phases•Use as much as possible existing roads and integrating in the specific landscape new access roads •Aerial electric grid when undergroundcables are incompatible with environmental,geological or archaeologist issues•Restriction of building time• maximum reinstatement of the floraremoved during building phase•Return the area to the original useafter the construction of the wind farm•Return the area to the original state•after decommissioning of the plant

7 m

5 m

Source: internet

Some mitigation criteria

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The secret is to develop wind plants interacting with the territory in order to grow its own value by:•Understanding of the territory and of its own peculiar characteristics•Optimizing use of the infrastructures (roads, electric grid, substations,..) •Evaluation of environmental impacts and risks (high nature quality, flora and fauna habitat, special protection areas and bird directive, breeding areas, forests,…)•Evaluation of visual impacts (landscape, historical, architectural and archeological heritage)•Dialogue and involvement of public communities and local authorities•The impact of the wind plant can be minimized by an appropriate selection of mitigation measures, planning plant decommissioning and restoring of the land.

Conclusions:

The analysis should be developed chance by chance and the plant has to be conceive and understood as a new anthropic element which changes and requalify the territory and the landscape as an example of energetic architecture.

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APER Guidelines for Realization of Wind Plants and their Integration in the Territory

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Thank you!

Cristian Lanfranconi, APER – Milan, Italy

lanfranconi@aper.it

www.aper.it

Source: Energia Sud (Italy)