Wind farms: GIS-based visual impact assessment and visualization tools

Landscape is gradually being considered an essential resource and, therefore, is a variable to be included in land planning and protection designations. A structured method of landscape assessment, which links descriptions, classification, analysis, and evaluation, will provide an integrated framework within which the problem of scenic impact from renewable energy sources can be debated and solved. Perceptual qualitative and quantitative data – such as road networks, land cover, satellite imagery, and aerial photography – can be used for site description and analysis or for 3D modeling and GIS-based visualization work. The case study in which our method was applied demonstrates the impact of wind turbines and wind farms, as well as their cumulative effects in Sierra de Pela (Soria and Guadalajara, Spain).