TOOLS FOR ENERGY LANDSCAPE DESIGN Visual impact assessment for wind farms

In a context where the ecological transition is gaining more and more importance, the introduction on the territory of plants for the production of energy from renewable sources requires tools for the assessment of the impact on cultural heritage and landscape quality. The evolution of “energy landscape” is a sensitive matter, too often influenced by political expedients which divert general attention from landscape assets and their enhancement in a transformative and design perspective. This paper proposes an application of the UNESCO “Heritage Impact Assessment” (HIA method) to the case of on-shore wind power plants in Sicily, to objectively quantify the visual impact and support informed design decisions. The method aims to overcome binary approaches between protection and energy progress and return the project to an active role in the sustainable transformation of the landscape.