Visual Impact Assessment of Offshore Wind Farms in a Decision Support System

Abstract

Onshore or offshore renewable energy helps to obtain energy in a sustainable manner. However, the deployment of both alternatives can damage the environment with different kind of impacts. For this reason, the place to construct these infrastructures must take into account all related impacts. In this way, Decision Support Systems (DSS) are useful tools. In this paper, a methodology to introduce a visual impact indicator into a DSS for the Environmental Impact Assessment of Offshore Renewable Energy (AMBEMAR) is shown. This DSS is also described. This methodology is adjusted to DSS requirements and flexible to any study case. The result is one visual impact index calculated through a multicriteria analysis that can be used to compare different cases. This methodology is applied to a study case located in the coast in front of Cantabria region (Spain). Two hypothesis of wind farms and other two possible locations for its electric transforming substations are analysed from visual impact point of view. The method shows that furthest wind farm has the lowest impact but indices have a slight variation in both cases