Wind turbine visibility and impact on visual amenity, 2022

Large differences in impact of wind turbines on visual amenity

Tall structures such as wind turbines can negatively impact landscape amenity. The degree to which wind turbines affect visual amenity depends largely on their visibility. Visibility increases with the height of a turbine, its proximity and a lack of intervening trees and buildings. The actual impact of the visibility and proximity of a wind turbine at a particular location depends on four other factors. The first is the original amenity value of the local landscape: the more attractive the original landscape and the more the wind turbine is at odds with the character of the landscape, the greater the disruptive effect on visual amenity. This in turn is influenced by the visibility of other objects that adversely affect visual amenity. Introduction of the first visible object has the greatest impact, while adding other intrusive elements has little additional impact. Visual amenity is also affected by the location of intrusive elements in relation to each other, to other objects and to existing landscape elements, as well as the design of the wind turbine in terms of colour and materials used. However, there has been little quantitative analysis of these aspects in landscape perception studies. Finally, personal attachment to a wind turbine is known to influence perception of its impact. The owner of a wind turbine will not be bothered by it. 

Wind turbine visibility and visual amenity

The impacts of wind turbines on the visual amenity of the landscape are well-documented. The presence of a visible wind turbine with a height of 100 m reduces the visual amenity of the landscape within a radius of 1.5 km by a third compared to the same landscape without the wind turbine. Although this effect decreases with distance, visual amenity is still reduced by a quarter at a distance of 2.5 km. The precise nature of the impacts on visual amenity at a particular location depends on other factors, which cannot be accurately documented on maps. For example, impacts are assumed to be smaller in the less appreciated landscapes of the lower lying areas of the Netherlands (open agricultural landscapes) and in landscapes with many other man-made objects, such as docklands and the Maasvlakte industrial port area. The exact positioning of the objects in relation to existing landscape elements, such as large water bodies, also has an influence.

Many visible wind turbines in Flevoland, the northern part of Noord-Holland, Rijnmond and in the north-west and north-east

Depending on the weather conditions, wind turbines may be visible from distances up to 35 km, while under average visibility conditions a 100 m wind turbine will be somewhat visible from 10 km. Although at this distance wind turbines take up a small part of the view, their distinctive shape, colour and movement make them stand out from the surroundings. Onshore wind turbines are somewhat visible to very clearly visible in over a third of the country (outside urban areas and the major water bodies). There are many visible wind turbines in the province of Flevoland, the northern part of the province of Noord-Holland, the Rijnmond region and the north-east of the province of Groningen and in the province of Drenthe. Not only do these areas contain many wind turbines, but the landscapes are flat and open.

Relevant policy objectives

The National Environment and Planning Strategy states that renewable energy infrastructure must be integrated into the landscape, with special attention to landscape quality and combination with other land uses (policy 1.4). For the development of wind farms there is an obligation to take into account other values, such as landscape character, nature, cultural heritage, water, soil, public support and government backing. Unique landscape qualities must be protected and enhanced. In addition, the Strategy promotes large-scale clustering of onshore wind turbines, but gives no further explanation of what is meant by clustering.