Aesthetic impact assessment of solar power plants : An objective and a subjective approach

Solar energy for the production of electric energy is one source of renewable energy which is experiencing most development in recent years. In countries with high solar radiation indices, as is the case of Spain, expectations of installation of large solar power plants are increasing. Most solar power plants are located in rural environments, where the landscape has remained practically unaltered ever since extensive agriculture was introduced. Because of this, one of the most significant environmental impacts of this type of installation is the visual impact derived from the alteration of the landscape. In this work, an indicator is proposed for the quantification of the objective aesthetic impact, based on four criteria: visibility, colour, fractality and concurrence between fixed and mobile panels. The relative importance of each variable and the corresponding value functions are calculated using expert contribution. A study of the subjective aesthetic impact is then carried out using the semantic differential method, to obtain the perception of a sample of individuals of the initial landscapes and of the landscapes altered through the installation of a solar power plant. The indicator and the study of public perception are applied to five real solar power plants, to test their reliability. Subsequently, a different group of individuals is used to determine preferences between the five solar power plants. The study proves that the combined use of objective indicator and subjective study, faithfully explains user preferences corresponding to the combined comparisons of the five cases. It is concluded that the tools proposed for the evaluation of the aesthetic impact of solar power plants are useful for the selection of optimal plant location and most adequate use of panel technology, to minimise aesthetic impact.

[1]  Shang H. Hsu,et al.  A semantic differential study of designers’ and users’ product form perception , 2000 .

[2]  Ervin H. Zube,et al.  Landscape perception: Research, application and theory , 1982 .

[3]  P. Girardin,et al.  Assessment of the contribution of land use pattern and intensity to landscape quality: use of a landscape indicator. , 2000 .

[4]  R. Küller.  A semantic test for use in cross-cultural studies , 1979 .

[5]  Elwood L. Shafer,et al.  A comparison of viewer reactions to outdoor scenes and photographs of those scenes , 1974 .

[6]  Louise M. Arthur,et al.  Scenic assessment: An overview , 1977 .

[7]  Rikard Küller,et al.  Environmental assessment from a neuropsychological perspective , 1991 .

[8]  Luis A. Bojórquez-Tapia,et al.  Appraisal of environmental impacts and mitigation measures through mathematical matrices , 1998 .

[9]  T. Gärling,et al.  Environment, cognition, and action : an integrated approach , 1991 .

[10]  N. Dalkey,et al.  An Experimental Application of the Delphi Method to the Use of Experts , 1963 .

[11]  Juan Carlos González,et al.  Application of product semantics to footwear design. Part II—comparison of two clog designs using individual and compared semantic profiles , 2005 .

[12]  Peter C. Wright,et al.  Funology: from usability to enjoyment , 2005 .

[13]  藤田 喜久雄,et al.  製品の高付加価値化とその品質機能展開による設計評価法 : 機械要素,潤滑,工作,生産管理など , 2001 .

[14]  Constantino Arce,et al.  CLASSIFICATION OF LANDSCAPES USING QUANTITATIVE AND CATEGORICAL DATA, AND PREDICTION OF THEIR SCENIC BEAUTY IN NORTH-WESTERN SPAIN , 2000 .

[15]  Pieter Desmet,et al.  Measuring Emotion: Development and Application of an Instrument to Measure Emotional Responses to Products , 2005, Funology.

[16]  Christian Bockstaller,et al.  How to validate environmental indicators , 2003 .

[17]  Arthur E. Stamps,et al.  Fractals, skylines, nature and beauty , 2002 .

[18]  R. B. Hull,et al.  Validity of photo-based scenic beauty judgments , 1992 .

[19]  T. Daniel,et al.  Methodological Issues in the Assessment of Landscape Quality , 1983 .

[20]  George Wright,et al.  The Delphi technique as a forecasting tool: issues and analysis , 1999 .

[21]  Ian D. Bishop.  Testing perceived landscape colour difference using the Internet , 1997 .

[22]  Bodil Karlsson,et al.  Using semantic environment description as a tool to evaluate car interiors , 2003, Ergonomics.

[23]  A. Robertson.  The CIE 1976 Color-Difference Formulae , 1977 .

[24]  Víctor-Andrés Cloquell-Ballester,et al.  Development and validation of a multicriteria indicator for the assessment of objective aesthetic impact of wind farms , 2009 .

[25]  Kuniaki Nakada.  Kansei engineering research on the design of construction machinery , 1997 .

[26]  Víctor-Andrés Cloquell-Ballester,et al.  Indicators validation for the improvement of environmental and social impact quantitative assessment , 2006 .

[27]  C. Osgood,et al.  The Measurement of Meaning , 1958 .