Integration criteria of offshore wind farms in the landscape: Viewpoints of local inhabitants

The offshore wind energy sector will flourish in the next few decades to meet global climate change commitments and energy demand. All EU Member States are required to develop marine spatial planning in order to facilitate the transition to a green economy. Even though these proposed offshore wind farms are essential for the energy transition, the visual impact of their implementation could serve as an obstacle to their deployment. A methodological framework is proposed to assess the visual impact of offshore wind farms. The current paper quantifies their visual impact, compares the results with nearby citizens' opinions, and proposes a realistic approach. Personal interviews took place in August to meet as many people as possible since these villages are primarily touristic. In both examined scenarios, according to the results of the methodology (Greek legislation) the first limitation is met, so there is no or minimal visual impact. Furthermore, the respondents replied that they would not experience any optical disturbance from an offshore wind farm in their region. Additionally, according to the respondents, 64% are positive or very positive about renewable energy exploitation, and only 11% are against it regardless of their age. •A methodology is tested concerning the visual impact of offshore wind farms.•In parallel, a survey was conducted with the residents from nearby areas.•In both cases, the results showed that there is no or minimal visual impact.•People generally support renewable energy technologies.•Sparsely located wind turbines will result in a more pleasant landscape.