Integrated Visions (Part II): Envisioning Sustainable Energy Landscapes

Abstract

Climate change and resource depletion are driving the transition to renewable energy sources. Both the supply of renewables and the demand for energy are influenced by the physical environment and therefore concern spatial planning and landscape design. Envisioning the long-term development of alternative energy landscapes – that is sustainable energy landscapes – present spatial planners and landscape architects with new challenges. The first paper of this two-part series discussed several existing approaches to long-term regional planning and landscape design, and presented an alternative, five-step approach for the composition of integrated visions [Stremke, S., Kann, F. Van & Koh, J. (2012) Integrated Visions (part I): Methodological Framework, European Planning Studies, [20(2), pp. 305–320]. This paper illustrates how the five-step approach was employed to compose a set of integrated visions for the development of sustainable energy landscapes in  south of the Netherlands. The proposed five-step approach is then examined with respect to a set of criteria stressed in the planning and design literature.

Acknowledgements

This paper presents the results of the “Synergies between Regional Planning and Exergy” multidisciplinary research project, funded by Agentshap NL (Dutch agency for innovation and sustainable development). We thank our fellow researchers at Wageningen University, Delft University of Technology and the University of Groningen. We also  thank our colleague Rudi van Etteger for reviewing the first manuscript, and Adrie van't Veer for helping with the figures. Last but not least, we thank the anonymous peers for reviewing the manuscript.

Notes

In 2010, the municipalities of Margraten and Eijsden were consolidated into one municipality named Eijsden-Margraten.

Landscape analysis also implies a thorough study of how the region has developed over time.

Since there is no heavy industry and no power plant in Margraten, residual heat potentials can be neglected. Renewable energy potentials have been mapped according to the approach described by Dobbelsteen et al. (2011).

The provincial scenario study, for example, describes the possible development of large-scale pig farms in Limburg. Due to the absence of motorways, railroads and waterways, it is unlikely that such “mega-farms” will be constructed in Margraten.

Calculation of energy consumption in Margraten is based on average per capita energy consumption in the Netherlands (CBS, 2008).

When siting biogas plants, both the odour and noise nuisance should be considered.

In Heuvelland, this system size would correspond to 300–500 cows.

Before injecting biogas into the existing gas grid, it has to be upgraded to natural gas quality. The qualities of the various renewable energy carriers and the consequences for environmental design are discussed in Stremke et al. (2011).

Future technological innovation could be integrated into the envisioning process, especially for energy-conscious interventions that rely on large-scale changes in energy infrastructure (e.g. high-voltage power lines).

We refer to the critical uncertainties that are described in the context scenario study (e.g. societal values).