Page 28 - European Energy Innovation - winter 2019 publication

28 Winter 2019 European Energy Innovation

GREEN-ENERGY LANDSCAPES

Green-energy landscapes
– solution to a dilemma

By Professor Michael Roth, School of Landscape Architecture, Environmental and Urban Planning,
Nürtingen-Geislingen University, Germany

Which is more important: renewable energy or landscape heritage? Two researchers in a COST
Action examined how the public and policymakers might not have to choose and strengthened
their careers at the same time.
but you can’t hide infrastructure such 33 country overviews of renewable
Over 200 engineers, as wind farms. That creates conflict,” energy and landscape polices, along
landscape says Professor Michael Roth, chair with guidelines and case studies on
conservationists and of RELY. siting infrastructure. For example, RELY
social scientists from
37 countries joined the ‘Renewable showed that people are more willing

energy and landscape quality’ (RELY) “RELY generated new knowledge for to accept renewables production

COST Action to address a dilemma. melding extreme positions,” he adds. when it is on waste land, benefits

“Renewable energies are one of the The result was ‘Renewable Energy communities financially or includes

best ways to mitigate climate change, and Landscape Quality’ – a book of local people in the planning process.

Photo: Michael Roth (Chair of the Action)

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