The question of installation

How to “hide” wind turbines and PV systems

With the right positioning, even gigantic wind turbines can "disappear"(Bild: Wolfgang Spitzbart)

Ugly, but important for the future - that's how many people see green energy systems. A landscape architect from the Technical University of Munich knows visually aesthetic solutions. However, the most important thing is still the involvement of the local population, especially when choosing the location and installation.

The current PV systems cannot really be regarded as "beautification", but most people have already become accustomed to the sight of them. The situation is different with wind turbines, where the "Floriani principle" prevails - (almost) everyone wants them, but not on their own doorstep.

Obtaining opinions
How to "hide", make aesthetically pleasing or even invisible such plants, which are indispensable for the energy transition, was the topic of an exciting lecture by landscape architect Sören Schöbel from the Technical University of Munich, to which the Traunviertel Alpine Foothills Leader Region had invited. "The most important thing is to involve the local population in the process," says the expert. "If you simply put a line of wind turbines in front of people's houses, you shouldn't be surprised if resistance forms."

Include landscape features
Another key point is to take landscape features such as hills, rivers, highways and sightlines into account. The optimal positioning of the large wind turbines also depends on the respective conditions: "If you coordinate the positioning with all these factors, you can hide the massive turbines in the landscape and integrate them so well that they are hardly noticeable".

Solar panels in rows are not the prettiest sight, reminiscent of industrial plants(Bild: DANIEL LEAL)

Large-scale PV systems, on the other hand, are more about texture: "Large, uniformly aligned surfaces are not very visually appealing," says expert Schöbel. Interrupted, loosened surfaces that follow the shape of the ground can help here.

Technology of the future
In the Netherlands, there are already some PV parks, i.e. PV systems that are embedded in accessible parks. "Taking these factors into account, renewable energy can actually enhance landscapes. It also shows that a region is forward-looking," Schöbel is convinced.