The impact of wind farm visibility on property values: A spatial difference-in-differences analysis

- Investigation of wind farm visibility on property prices by means of a spatial difference-in-differences model
- Incorporation of a quantitative visual impact assessment
- Value for properties whose view was strongly affected decreased by 9-14%
- Properties with a minor or marginal view on the turbines experienced no devaluation
- One of the first wind farm impact analyses that uses property sales data from Germany

Today's investment decisions in large-scale onshore wind projects in Germany are no longer determined only by the investment's economic benefit, but also by concerns associated to social acceptance. Despite a mostly positive attitude towards the expansion of wind power, local public concerns often stem from the belief that the proximity to large-scale wind farms may lead to a decrease in property prices. In particular, the change in landscape caused by the construction of a wind farm may have an adverse impact on the view from some properties, and thus may negatively affect their price. To investigate the potential devaluation of properties in Germany due to wind farms, we use a quasi-experimental technique and apply a spatial difference-in-differences approach to various wind farm sites in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. We adopt a quantitative visual impact assessment approach to account for the adverse environmental effects caused by the wind turbines. To properly account for spatial dependence and unobserved variables biases, we apply augmented spatial econometric models. The estimates indicate that the asking price for properties whose view was strongly affected by the construction of wind turbines decreased by about 9-14%. In contrast, properties with a minor or marginal view on the wind turbines experienced no devaluation.