Enerscapes Project. Territory, landscape and renewable energies

The general objective of the ENERSCAPES program was to limit the adverse effects occurring in the Mediterranean landscape due to the spread of renewable energy source installations (solar farms, wind farms, etc.). The aim was to prevent the alteration and simplification of the Mediterranean landscape and undesirable effects on cultural heritage. This objective would be achieved through mutual knowledge and sharing of best practices and regulatory solutions (for different scales of application and through pilot projects), useful for managing these territorial changes, thus defining an evaluation method and common rules valid for the entire Mediterranean area.

The specific objectives of the program were:

• Implementation of methodologies to assess and minimize the impact of renewable energy plant installations on territory. These methodologies should take into account those factors determining a landscape from which the reasons for a particular landscape and its evolution can be deduced, the degree of social acceptance regarding a particular change in it, and the assessment of impact on existing biodiversity.
• Assessment of the participation of local actors in the planning of renewable energy installations.

The environmental assessment methodology was intended to evaluate impacts on landscapes and define procedures for the development of the binomial: "Renewable Energies-Landscape Plans" adaptable to different territorial and functional contexts for the development of local resources.

The project, which consisted of several phases, was implemented as follows:

• The analysis of the regulatory framework for landscape and renewable energies in each region involved in the project, which enabled an interesting and enriching comparison among the various partners; and the exchange of experience and best practices.
• A pilot project, which involved an analysis of the area, both its natural, cultural, landscape and energy resources as well as the main socio-economic characteristics; information that becomes part of a common geodatabase.
• The establishment of a methodology for landscape impact assessment, as already mentioned, and the establishment of five possible future scenarios, depending on whether landscape conservation or renewable energy exploitation is prioritized, and the development of a package of common indicators that allow monitoring of this evolution.
• The drafting of a "local action plan" for the pilot project area, which specifies the necessary measures relating to the legislative framework, communication and citizen participation, local governance and necessary technical studies.
• The drafting, based on accumulated experience and the local action plans mentioned above, of guidelines, common and valid for all partners and, therefore, extrapolable to the entire Mediterranean area, understood as a series of considerations, measures, tools and methodologies useful for managing new and emerging "energy landscapes".

The project, which consisted of several phases, was implemented in:

• The analysis of the regulatory framework for landscape and renewable energy in each region involved in the project, which allowed an interesting and enriching comparison among the various partners; and the exchange of experience and best practices.
• A pilot project, which involved an analysis of the area, including its natural, cultural, landscape and energy resources as well as the main socio-economic characteristics; information that becomes part of a common geodatabase.
• The establishment of a methodology for landscape impact assessment, as already mentioned, and the establishment of five possible future scenarios, depending on whether landscape conservation or the exploitation of renewable energy is prioritized, and the preparation of a package of common indicators that would allow monitoring this evolution.
• The drafting of a "local action plan" for the pilot project area, which specified the necessary measures relating to the legislative framework, communication and citizen participation, local governance and necessary technical studies.
• The drafting, based on accumulated experience and the local action plans mentioned above, of guiding lines, common and valid for all partners and, therefore, transferable to the entire Mediterranean area, understood as a series of considerations, measures, tools and methodologies useful for managing new and emerging "energy landscapes".

Download presentation: "Searching for methodologies: Renewable energy systems visual impact assessment"

• ENERSCAPES. Territory, Landscape and Renewable Energies