Pilot Study on the Acceptance of Vertical Wind Power Plants

Personnel:

Status:

Project financed by the German Federal Ministry of Environment and Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg

Duration:

01/2009 – 09/2009

Outline:

Current debates on wind power plants mostly give attention on the steering of the spatial distribution by planning instruments of huge stations and on repowering. Small wind energy converters up to a height of 50m so far attracted only little interest in discussions on planning law. Such small plants have to be regarded as individual local wind turbines, offering individuals the possibility of an additional personal energy supply. Small – vertical and horizontal – wind power stations represent a completely new type of installation, so authorities are unsure when handling licensing processes, as directives and regulations do not apply to this type of plant. The research project concentrates on the applicability of existing directives to these small wind power stations and identifies inconsistencies in valuation. Considering existing jurisdiction, possible solutions are developed and suggestions for improvements concerning federal legislation are made. Within the research on Laender legislation, the emphasis is on the model regions Schleswig-Holstein, Saxony-Anhalt, Lower Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The research is conducted in cooperation with a pilot study on the acceptance of vertical wind power plants at the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg. This project analyses the technical, economic and ecological characteristics of small vertical wind power plants on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Environment.

Project-related publications and research reports:

" Pilot Study on the Acceptance of Vertical Wind Power Plants" BMU-EE-funded transversal research project (FKZ: 0327644): Final report and detailed sub-reports of the project partner
Bovet, J.: Ausgewählte Probleme bei der baulichen Errichtung von Kleinwindanlagen. Zeitschrift für Umweltrecht (ZUR) 2010, S. 9-15.
Köck, W.; Bovet, J.: Windenergieanlagen und Freiraumschutz - Rechtliche Anforderungen an die räumliche Steuerung von Windenergieanlagen. In: Siedentop, S.; Egermann, M. (Hrsg.): Freiraumschutz und Freiraumentwicklung durch Raumordnungsplanung. Bilanz, aktuelle Herausforderungen und methodisch-instrumentelle Perspektiven. Arbeitsmaterial der ARL. 2009. S. 172-190. Gekürzte Fassung in: Natur und Recht (NuR) 2008, S. 529-534.