The transition to renewable energy is essential for achieving global climate goals; however, it also brings significant socioeconomic and environmental challenges. This thesis investigates the social costs of wind energy installations through case studies in Italy, Spain, and India. Social costs are defined as the combination of direct economic expenditures and indirect externalities, such as visual impact and changes in property values. The first paper provides a comprehensive literature review of the social costs associated with wind energy, highlighting research gaps and emphasising methods like hedonic pricing and contingent valuation to monetise these externalities. The second paper measures the visual impact of wind farms using a mixed-methods approach, including community surveys and regression analysis. It reveals cross-country differences in public perception influenced by landscape characteristics, cultural values, and levels of community participation. The third paper analyses the impact of wind turbines on residential property values in the Puglia region of Italy from 2004 to 2024 using a Difference-in-Differences framework. Results show positive effects on property values within 5 km of wind farms, negative effects between 5–8 km, and no significant impacts beyond 18 km. Social costs in this thesis are calculated by combining the willingness to pay (WTP) for reduced visual impact with the observed changes in property prices. The findings underscore that ignoring these externalities can lead to underestimating the true societal impact of renewable energy projects, potentially increasing public opposition and threatening long-term sustainability. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the external costs of wind energy and advocates for more inclusive, participatory planning processes. Ultimately, the thesis highlights that for energy transitions to be truly sustainable, they must be not only environmentally sound but also socially acceptable and equitable.
La transizione verso le energie rinnovabili è fondamentale per il raggiungimento degli obiettivi climatici globali; tuttavia, comporta anche importanti sfide di tipo socioeconomico e ambientale. Questa tesi analizza i costi sociali degli impianti eolici attraverso casi studio in Italia, Spagna e India. I costi sociali sono definiti come la combinazione tra spese economiche dirette ed esternalità indirette, come l’impatto visivo e le variazioni nei valori immobiliari. Il primo articolo fornisce una revisione completa della letteratura sui costi sociali associati all’energia eolica, evidenziando lacune nella ricerca e sottolineando l’importanza di metodi come il pricing edonico e la valutazione contingente per monetizzare tali esternalità. Il secondo articolo misura l’impatto visivo degli impianti eolici utilizzando un approccio misto, che include sondaggi alle comunità e analisi di regressione. Emergono differenze percettive tra i Paesi, influenzate da caratteristiche del paesaggio, valori culturali e livelli di partecipazione della comunità. Il terzo articolo analizza l’impatto delle turbine eoliche sui valori immobiliari residenziali nella regione Puglia, in Italia, dal 2004 al 2024, utilizzando un modello Difference-in-Differences. I risultati mostrano effetti positivi sui valori immobiliari entro 5 km dagli impianti, effetti negativi tra 5 e 8 km, e impatti non significativi oltre i 18 km. I costi sociali, in questa tesi, sono calcolati combinando la disponibilità a pagare (WTP) per ridurre l’impatto visivo con le variazioni osservate nei prezzi degli immobili. I risultati evidenziano che ignorare tali esternalità può portare a una sottostima dell’impatto sociale reale dei progetti di energia rinnovabile, aumentando potenzialmente l’opposizione pubblica e compromettendo la sostenibilità a lungo termine. Questa ricerca contribuisce a una comprensione più approfondita dei costi esterni dell’energia eolica e promuove processi di pianificazione più inclusivi e partecipativi. In definitiva, la tesi sottolinea che per essere veramente sostenibili, le transizioni energetiche devono essere non solo ecologicamente valide, ma anche socialmente accettabili ed eque
Social Cost of Wind Energy: Study Case of India, Spain, Italy
RATHORE, ALKA
2025
Abstract
The transition to renewable energy is essential for achieving global climate goals; however, it also brings significant socioeconomic and environmental challenges. This thesis investigates the social costs of wind energy installations through case studies in Italy, Spain, and India. Social costs are defined as the combination of direct economic expenditures and indirect externalities, such as visual impact and changes in property values. The first paper provides a comprehensive literature review of the social costs associated with wind energy, highlighting research gaps and emphasising methods like hedonic pricing and contingent valuation to monetise these externalities. The second paper measures the visual impact of wind farms using a mixed-methods approach, including community surveys and regression analysis. It reveals cross-country differences in public perception influenced by landscape characteristics, cultural values, and levels of community participation. The third paper analyses the impact of wind turbines on residential property values in the Puglia region of Italy from 2004 to 2024 using a Difference-in-Differences framework. Results show positive effects on property values within 5 km of wind farms, negative effects between 5–8 km, and no significant impacts beyond 18 km. Social costs in this thesis are calculated by combining the willingness to pay (WTP) for reduced visual impact with the observed changes in property prices. The findings underscore that ignoring these externalities can lead to underestimating the true societal impact of renewable energy projects, potentially increasing public opposition and threatening long-term sustainability. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the external costs of wind energy and advocates for more inclusive, participatory planning processes. Ultimately, the thesis highlights that for energy transitions to be truly sustainable, they must be not only environmentally sound but also socially acceptable and equitable.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
---|---|---|---|
phd_unimib_893728.pdf
embargo fino al 25/09/2028
Dimensione
1.64 MB
Formato
Adobe PDF
|
1.64 MB | Adobe PDF |
I documenti in UNITESI sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14242/296450
URN:NBN:IT:UNIMIB-296450