The study's analyses also took into account noise protection of local residents: "Two types of modern wind turbines were the basis of our calculations to determine potential. When operated in reduced-noise mode they comply with the night-time noise criteria already at a minimum distance of 600 metres", said UBA's President Maria Krautzberger.
The UBA study brings into focus how important the distance between wind turbines and settlements is for the potential of wind energy. This analysis is a more in-depth version of the UBA study about Germany's onshore wind energy potential published in 2013.
Differences between federal states: The UBA analysis shows that great distances to residential settlements decrease the capacity potential to varying degrees in the different federal states. In the more sparsely populated land areas, mainly in eastern Germany, the potential declines to a much lesser degree than in the densely populated states in the centre and south of the country. On the other hand, in Schleswig-Holstein, where there are many dispersed settlements in rural areas, there is a mere one percent remaining of the federal state's total potential at a distance of 1,600 metres.
Not to compromise development objectives: The current installed onshore wind energy capacity in Germany amounts to 35 gigawatts. The amended Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) which became effective on 1 August 2014 envisages an annual additional increase of 2.5 gigawatts for all of Germany. The legislator has also amended the Federal Building Code, making it possible for the first time for the federal states (Länder) to incorporate binding minimum distances between wind energy plants and residential areas into Länder law. UBA's President Maria Krautzberger advised: "The Länder should not make the mistake of jeopardising the development of wind energy as an important pillar of the transformation of the energy system (Energiewende) by establishing excessive minimum distances to housing developments. This would quickly and too greatly hamper the scope of action of regions and municipalities."
Further information:
As of 30 June 2014, there were roughly 24,000 wind energy plants in operation in Germany with an installed capacity of about 35 gigawatts. This is already covering 8.5 per cent of Germany's gross power consumption.
A 2013 study by UBA entitled Potenzial der Windenergie an Land identified the national land area and capacity potential of onshore wind energy. On the basis of the study's assumptions, there is a potential land availability of about 49,400 square kilometres, or 13.8 percent of the country's land area. This corresponds to a potential capacity of roughly 1,200 gigawatts with an output of 2,900 terawatt hours. It should be noted that issues which would in practice require a case-by-case review, for example the protection of individual species, were not taken into account and that the technical-ecological potential is therefore actually considerably lower. The realisable potential is therefore to be assessed again significantly lower.
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