Social aspectsWind energy

GROUP 3

Charlotte Huber Nancy J. Guarderas H. Robert Pajdak

Social aspects

Social and economical benefits Energy access and security Impacts on human activities and well-being

Land and marine usage Property value impacts Cultural impacts Electromagnetic inference (EMI) Visual impacts Health and safety ▪ Noise ▪ Shadow flicker / ice / broken blades

Minimizing social and environmental concerns

The use of wind energy can provide social benefits to developing and developed countries

Iceland relies entirely on renewable energy sources for energy production, based entirely on hydro and geothermal power

Social and economical benefits

The main social advantage of using wind energy here is most likely the increased diversity of energy production and better energy security

Introducing a new energy option also supports smaller and more distributed energy sources for the country

Social and economical benefits

Energy use per capita is correlated to the development level of countries

For developing countries expanding access to energy is very important

In these areas, decentralized grids and small scale energy production installations, including windmills, are more competitive

Energy access and security

Access to energy is not a problem in Iceland

It can be expensive for remote farms to buy electricity and thus small windmills could be an interesting option for them

Energy access and security

Land and marine usage Property value impacts Cultural impacts Electromagnetic inference (EMI) Visual impacts Health and safety Minimizing social and environmental

concerns

Impacts on human activities and well-being

Land and marine usage Wind energy installations require open spaces and access to windmills that are usually installed on grazing lands, agricultural, and coastal areas

The development of wind energy installation has generated conflicts in some locations in the world

Land and marine usage Offshore wind farms can affect both fishing grounds and shipping routes Can be avoided through a

careful planning process

Finding space for wind farms either onshore and offshore that would affect human life probably will not be a problem in Iceland

Property value impacts

There is some concern that residential property values can be affected near wind power plants

Published research has not found strong evidence about it

Cultural impacts

Historic, sacred and archaeological sites must be considered sensitive sites for wind power installations

Indirect effects, for instance the visual impact of wind turbines near areas of high cultural value, have to be considered too

Insensitivity to the cultural value of locations where wind farms are constructed can contribute to conflicts

Electromagnetic inference (EMI) Wind power plants can cause electromagnetic interference and affect signals, including television, radio, cellular phones and radar

Can be minimized by technical solutions and location planning

Visual impacts

Most discussed social impact, due to unnatural appearances in landscapes  

Wind power plants have grown in size in recent years and also spread geographically, so impact is growing bigger 

Visual impacts

To counteractions of visual pollution:

Turbines of similar size and shape

Light-coloured paints

Choosing a smaller number of larger turbines over a  larger number of smaller ones

Burying connection cabling

Ensuring that blades rotate in the same direction

Health and safety

NOISE SHADOW FLICKER /

ICE / BROKEN BLADES

Noise

Not enough scientific proof on noise induced health damage

Shadow flicker / ice / broken blades

Seasonal problem, regulations in case of critical light conditions and safety measures during winter

Minimizing social and environmental concerns Planning Phase is essential to success in public acceptance

Early involvement of local people -> transparency

Proper planning as precondition to minimize social and environmental impacts

Thank you!Questions?