IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i23p16186-d993107.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Side Effects of Wind Energy: Review of Three Topics—Status and Open Questions

Author

Listed:
  • André D. Thess

    (Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics, German Aerospace Center DLR, Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
    Chair of Energy Storage, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 31, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Philipp Lengsfeld

    (re:look climate gGmbH, Prenzlauer Allee 186, 10405 Berlin, Germany)

Abstract

Wind energy is considered a pillar of the low-carbon energy system of the future. Whereas the side effects and social costs of fossil energy sources (coal, oil and gas), as well as those of nuclear energy, are well-documented and quantified, understanding of the analogous questions with respect to wind energy is far less advanced. However, such understanding is crucial in order to minimize the influence of wind energy on the environment and to compare its social costs with those of conventional energy sources. Here, we summarize the state of knowledge of three side effects of wind energy that have not been convincingly evaluated to date. We focus our analysis on three topics, namely (1) the impact of wind energy on insects; (2) the impact of wind energy on the spatiotemporal distribution of air velocity, temperature, moisture and precipitation in the vicinity of wind parks; and (3) the impact of wind energy on humans through noise emission. For each topic, we formulate open research questions that should be addressed by responsible policy incentives in order to comprehensively assess the social costs of wind energy and to develop wind farms with minimal impact on their environment.

Suggested Citation

  • André D. Thess & Philipp Lengsfeld, 2022. "Side Effects of Wind Energy: Review of Three Topics—Status and Open Questions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-17, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:23:p:16186-:d:993107
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/23/16186/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/23/16186/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Liming Zhou & Yuhong Tian & Somnath Baidya Roy & Chris Thorncroft & Lance F. Bosart & Yuanlong Hu, 2012. "Impacts of wind farms on land surface temperature," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 2(7), pages 539-543, July.
    2. Gil-García, Isabel C. & Ramos-Escudero, Adela & García-Cascales, M.S. & Dagher, Habib & Molina-García, A., 2022. "Fuzzy GIS-based MCDM solution for the optimal offshore wind site selection: The Gulf of Maine case," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 130-147.
    3. Sánchez-Lozano, J.M. & García-Cascales, M.S. & Lamata, M.T., 2014. "Identification and selection of potential sites for onshore wind farms development in Region of Murcia, Spain," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 311-324.
    4. Dalili, N. & Edrisy, A. & Carriveau, R., 2009. "A review of surface engineering issues critical to wind turbine performance," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 428-438, February.
    5. Irene van Kamp & Frits van den Berg, 2021. "Health Effects Related to Wind Turbine Sound: An Update," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-29, August.
    6. Huhtala, Anni & Remes, Piia, 2017. "Quantifying the social costs of nuclear energy: Perceived risk of accident at nuclear power plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 320-331.
    7. Gustave P. Corten & Herman F. Veldkamp, 2001. "Insects can halve wind-turbine power," Nature, Nature, vol. 412(6842), pages 41-42, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yunliang Li & Zhaobin Li & Zhideng Zhou & Xiaolei Yang, 2023. "Large-Eddy Simulation of Wind Turbine Wakes in Forest Terrain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-23, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yang, Muchen & Xiao, Zhixiang, 2019. "Distributed roughness induced transition on wind-turbine airfoils simulated by four-equation k-ω-γ-Ar transition model," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 1166-1177.
    2. Han, Woobeom & Kim, Jonghwa & Kim, Bumsuk, 2018. "Effects of contamination and erosion at the leading edge of blade tip airfoils on the annual energy production of wind turbines," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 817-823.
    3. Matthias Schramm & Hamid Rahimi & Bernhard Stoevesandt & Kim Tangager, 2017. "The Influence of Eroded Blades on Wind Turbine Performance Using Numerical Simulations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-15, September.
    4. Dollinger, Christoph & Balaresque, Nicholas & Gaudern, Nicholas & Gleichauf, Daniel & Sorg, Michael & Fischer, Andreas, 2019. "IR thermographic flow visualization for the quantification of boundary layer flow disturbances due to the leading edge condition," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 709-721.
    5. Mohammad Hassan Khanjanpour & Akbar A. Javadi, 2020. "Experimental and CFD Analysis of Impact of Surface Roughness on Hydrodynamic Performance of a Darrieus Hydro (DH) Turbine," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-18, February.
    6. Liu, W.Y. & Zhang, W.H. & Han, J.G. & Wang, G.F., 2012. "A new wind turbine fault diagnosis method based on the local mean decomposition," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 411-415.
    7. Tang, Baoping & Liu, Wenyi & Song, Tao, 2010. "Wind turbine fault diagnosis based on Morlet wavelet transformation and Wigner-Ville distribution," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2862-2866.
    8. Martínez-Martínez, Yenisleidy & Dewulf, Jo & Casas-Ledón, Yannay, 2022. "GIS-based site suitability analysis and ecosystem services approach for supporting renewable energy development in south-central Chile," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 363-376.
    9. Moura Carneiro, F.O. & Barbosa Rocha, H.H. & Costa Rocha, P.A., 2013. "Investigation of possible societal risk associated with wind power generation systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 30-36.
    10. Groh, Elke D. & Möllendorff, Charlotte v., 2020. "What shapes the support of renewable energy expansion? Public attitudes between policy goals and risk, time, and social preferences," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    11. Yasir Ahmed Solangi & Qingmei Tan & Muhammad Waris Ali Khan & Nayyar Hussain Mirjat & Ifzal Ahmed, 2018. "The Selection of Wind Power Project Location in the Southeastern Corridor of Pakistan: A Factor Analysis, AHP, and Fuzzy-TOPSIS Application," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-26, July.
    12. Tabassum-Abbasi, & Premalatha, M. & Abbasi, Tasneem & Abbasi, S.A., 2014. "Wind energy: Increasing deployment, rising environmental concerns," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 270-288.
    13. Fakorede, Oloufemi & Feger, Zoé & Ibrahim, Hussein & Ilinca, Adrian & Perron, Jean & Masson, Christian, 2016. "Ice protection systems for wind turbines in cold climate: characteristics, comparisons and analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 662-675.
    14. Styliani Karamountzou & Dimitra G. Vagiona, 2023. "Suitability and Sustainability Assessment of Existing Onshore Wind Farms in Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-21, January.
    15. Sofia Spyridonidou & Dimitra G. Vagiona, 2020. "Systematic Review of Site-Selection Processes in Onshore and Offshore Wind Energy Research," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-26, November.
    16. Son, Chankyu & Kelly, Mark & Kim, Taeseong, 2021. "Boundary-layer transition model for icing simulations of rotating wind turbine blades," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 172-183.
    17. Yang, Shuxia & Wang, Xiongfei & Xu, Jiayu & Tang, Mingrun & Chen, Guang, 2023. "Distribution network adaptability assessment considering distributed PV “reverse power flow” behavior - a case study in Beijing," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    18. Bieber, Niclas & Ker, Jen Ho & Wang, Xiaonan & Triantafyllidis, Charalampos & van Dam, Koen H. & Koppelaar, Rembrandt H.E.M. & Shah, Nilay, 2018. "Sustainable planning of the energy-water-food nexus using decision making tools," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 584-607.
    19. J. M. Sánchez-Lozano & F. J. Salmerón-Vera & C. Ros-Casajús, 2020. "Prioritization of Cartagena Coastal Military Batteries to Transform Them into Scientific, Tourist and Cultural Places of Interest: A GIS-MCDM Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-16, November.
    20. Abraham, Aliza & Hong, Jiarong, 2021. "Operational-dependent wind turbine wake impact on surface momentum flux," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:23:p:16186-:d:993107. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.