| Summary/Abstract |
Feed-in tariff funding will cease by 2025 for more than 70% of the currently installed onshore wind turbines in Germany. For many wind turbines, the feasibility of repowering from a regulatory point of view is unknown; that is, a complete replacement of the old wind turbines with new, modern, and more efficient models. In Germany, restrictive regulations regarding the required minimum distances of wind turbines from residential and other protected areas may impede repowering, thereby rendering a site non-repowerable. Many of these wind turbine sites are well-established in terms of their acceptance by the local population. Our analysis shows that the potential of non-repowerable but well-established locations with more efficient technology at the same height is almost twice that of the sites qualified for repowering via higher wind turbines. The latest legislation of the German federal government prescribes minimum distances of 1,000 m between a wind turbine and the nearest residential buildings. This will slow down the expansion of onshore wind energy in Germany and decrease its contribution to climate neutrality. This study quantifies the nationwide effects of restrictive legislative minimum distance regulations on repowering potential by means of a developed geographic information system that utilizes highly detailed settlement structures.
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