Understanding New Landscapes: Support for Renewable Energy Planning

The pace of transition to new energy sources, and away from fossil fuels, is as hard to predict as any other impact of climate change. However, it appears inevitable that a transition will be made eventually. In some countries, notably Germany and Denmark, the process is already well underway. In others it is just beginning. This article uses the situation of the state of Victoria in southern Australia to explore the possible extent of landscape change under a move to renewable energy sources, and to explore the key variables and tools for analysis and communication which will identify the consequences and support planning. A scenario for a future level of wind power generation in Victoria is proposed, potential sites identified and then the visual impact of these analyzed, not simply on a case-by-case basis but as a system of facilities across the landscape. People travelling by road, or train, will be particularly aware of the extent to which the change is pervasive and new parameters and representations are proposed for documentation of these dynamic visual landscape outcomes.