Towards energy landscapes – “Pathfinder for sustainable wind power locations”

Land is a scarce resource, especially when its multiple demands for use are taken into consideration. With more than 25,000 wind turbines installed currently, wind power plays an integral role in the development of renewable energy technologies in Germany. In addition to the positive effects, e.g. reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, wind power also has negative effects on the environment and human well-being. With this in mind, it is important to identify most suitable locations for wind turbines that accounts for different aspects of sustainability. The approach suggested here is a practical method to identify sustainable sites at local to national scale. Additionally the paper compares emerging technology (system friendly wind turbines) with standard technology with respect to environmental concerns and assesses the current performance of wind power in a specific study region. The study finds that the approach enables sustainable locations to be identified in a feasible but scientifically robust manner, and that the system friendly technology outperforms the standard technology in each case. The current allocation of wind turbines is less efficient since repowering and reallocation means that more electricity can be generated by fewer turbines. Furthermore, the impact on the environment and human well-being can also be reduced.