VISUAL IMPACTS

Wind turbines are highly visible structures. Modern wind turbines usually stand approximately 30-50 meters (100-160 feet) above the ground and the blade rotor may also be up to 40 meters (130 feet) in diameter.

The obtrusiveness of such structures is therefore an aesthetic concern. Windmills were a common sight on American farms until the mid-20th century, thus agricultural landowners are known to be more receptive to the idea of wind power projects. Still, complaints do exist and will always add a degree of controversy to any wind power initiatives.

There are various steps to reduce the number of complaints:

1. Choose a turbine that is the least visibly offensive. Tubular towers are more pleasing to the eye than lattice towers.

2. If a wind farm is considered, a well-ordered array of turbines that follows the contours of a ridge will blend more easily with the surrounding environment. Making sure that transmission lines and other relevant infrastructure is either buried or hidden by vegetation further helps to reduce the turbine's visibility.

3. Education is oftentimes the leading obstacle to gaining community acceptance. Learning about renewable sources of energy and specifically the benefits of wind power is necessary for understanding that wind power reduces our ecological footprint (as opposed to traditional power plants).

Source: http://www.awea.org