Reto Spielhofer

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Spielhofer

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Reto

ORCID

0000-0002-0943-779X

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Publications 1 - 10 of 12

Does rated visual landscape quality match visual features? An analysis for renewable energy landscapes
Spielhofer, Reto; Hunziker, Marcel; Kienast, Felix; et al. (2021)
Landscape and Urban Planning
Finding the “right” sites for developing renewable energy systems (RES) is one of the major challenges in planning strategies for energy transitions. The visibility aspects of such infrastructure are important factors that explain local opposition. Classical visibility and viewshed analyses of RES disregard people’s perceptions and estimations of new infrastructure. To address this void, we demonstrate an approach that combines rated visual landscape qualities with measured visual features. In doing so, we established visual stimuli with systematically controlled visual impact scenarios featuring the use of renewables in different landscape types. The study investigated how ratings of landscape qualities are affected by landscape changes stemming from RES. We also identified measurable visual features that might help to operationalize landscape qualities. Finally, we intended to improve the understand of how rated landscape qualities lead to preferences for different RES visual impact scenarios. Our results showed that rated coherence is strongly influenced by renewable energy infrastructure, whereas complexity ratings are affected mainly by variations in landscape types. These findings let us to conclude that the visual understanding and visual connectedness between energy systems and surrounding landscapes are core drivers of people’s visual preferences for landscapes altered with RES. Considering landscape qualities within impact assessments of RES can augment our grasp of how the visual character of a landscape changes through renewable energy infrastructure.
steuerBAR? Wo wollen wir "Energielandschaften" und wo nicht?
Salak, Boris; Kienast, Felix; Olschewski, Roland; et al. (2019)
WSL Berichte
Die vorliegende Studie befasst sich mit den Präferenzen der Schweizer Bevölkerung in Bezug auf Infrastrukturen zur Produktion erneuerbarer Energie (engl. IPRE: Wind, Photovoltaik) in charakteristischen Schweizer Landschaften. Es wurde eine repräsentative Online-Panelumfrage (n = 1063) durchgeführt, die ein visuelles Entscheidungsexperiment beinhaltete. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass das Vorhandensein von Energieanlagen die wahrgenommene Landschaftsqualität in den meisten Fällen reduziert, in einigen Landschaften mehr (Berggebiete abseits von Infrastrukturen,Voralpen, Jura), in anderen weniger (siedlungsgeprägtes Flachland undentsprechende Berggebiete (Alpentäler), touristisch geprägte Berggebiete). Dasgänzliche Fehlen von Photovoltaik-Infrastrukturen wird in letzteren von der Bevölkerung sogar negativ bewertet, doch eine Kombination mit Wind-Infrastrukturen kann die Beurteilung positiv beeinflussen. Der Einbezug der Bevölkerungssicht in die Planung von IPRE wird im Hinblick auf deren Akzeptanz empfohlen. This study deals with the preferences of the Swiss population with regard to infrastructures for the production of renewable energy (IPRE: wind, photovoltaics) in characteristic Swiss landscapes. A representative online panel survey (n=1'063) was conducted, which included a discrete choice experiment. The results suggest that the presence of energy installations reduces the perceived landscape quality in most cases, in some landscapes more (abandoned mountain areas, Prealps, Jura), in others less (lowland & mountain areas (alpine valleys), tourist mountain areas). The total absence of PV infrastructures in the latter is even rated negatively by the population, whereas a combination of PV and wind infrastructures can have a positive impact on the assessment. The inclusion of the population’s perspective in the planning of IPRE is recommended with a view to its acceptance.
Preparing 3D Point Clouds as Stimuli for Landscape Preference Studies: Lessons Learned
Wissen Hayek, Ulrike; Spielhofer, Reto; Grêt-Regamey, Adrienne (2019)
Journal of Digital Landscape Architecture
Representational parameters of landscape simulations can influence people’s perception and preference judgements. Therefore, it is crucial to test their effects systematically. The goal of this paper is to answer a few key challenges encountered when preparing 3D point cloud stimuli for landscape preference studies in order to make an informed modelling choice. We present lessons learned from preparing 3D visualizations of landscapes with renewable energy systems, which served as stimuli for a laboratory experiment investigating landscape preferences. With a series of four small studies we tested the stimuli’s suitability for purpose with regard to: (1) The placement of the renewable energy infrastructures on the landscapes and their representation; (2) the effect of seasonal aspects on prefer-ences; (3) the presentation media (panoramic projection or head-mounted display); and (4) the display type (animated or static) and presentation form (simultaneous or sequential). The results of the first study show that designing landscape scenarios collaboratively with experts is important as they have a critical view on both, the technically realistic visualization of the landscape change and its representa-tion. The 3D point cloud models were an appropriate means for this task. Further, audio-visual simula-tions presented with head-mounted displays can contribute to a higher level of immersion. The other two studies focusing on the effect of the seasonal aspect as well as the display type and presentation form revealed that the effect of the investigated aspects on stated preferences was not significant in the context of our study. The insights can inform other 3D visualization processes in relation to crucial aspects to be considered when generating stimuli using 3D point clouds.
How spatial policies can leverage energy transitions − Finding Pareto-optimal solutions for wind turbine locations with evolutionary multi-objective optimization
Spielhofer, Reto; Schwaab, Jonas; Grêt-Regamey, Adrienne (2023)
Environmental Science & Policy
Energy production from the power of wind is being increasingly promoted around the world to reach climate and energy targets and gain independence from fossil fuels. The identification of possible sites for on-shore wind energy production faces multiple challenges. National wind energy strategies cite various physical, ecological, social and economic constraints in defining wind turbine locations. Furthermore, the acceptance of new infrastructure is highly dependent on regional and local conditions.Consequently, the design of policy guidelines that simultaneously consider various constraints and goals in a spatially explicit manner is highly challenging. To tackle this challenge, we demonstrate how a state-of-the-art evolutionary optimization algorithm can inform policy-makers in leveraging various planning policies to optimize wind energy production. We investigate the spatial and non-spatial effects of different policies considering multiple planning targets and constraints. Moreover, we analyze trade-offs between different wind turbine planning targets. Based on the results, we outline several policy implications to support the identification of development areas for wind turbines in Switzerland. The proposed optimization method enables us to better understand the national planning horizon within a regional context and vice versa.
Physiological and behavioral reactions to renewable energy systems in various landscape types
Spielhofer, Reto; Thrash, Tyler; Wissen Hayek, Ulrike; et al. (2021)
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Renewable energy systems (RES) can impact landscape aesthetics and influence the public's perception of the landscape and their acceptance of large infrastructure projects. Perceptual processes have consequences for both physiological and behavioral reactions to visual landscape changes and have not been systematically assessed in the context of RES. In this paper, we measured participants' physiological (electrodermal activity) and behavioral (i.e., landscape preferences) responses to landscapes with different amounts of RES. The visual stimuli were composed of either a low or high amount of wind turbines and photovoltaic systems in seven different landscape types. Participants were asked to choose their preferred landscape image from pairs of sequentially presented images while we recorded their electrodermal activity. The results revealed that participants were significantly more physiologically aroused while viewing landscapes with high RES compared to landscapes with low RES. We also found that the participants significantly preferred landscapes with low RES to landscapes with high RES and that this effect was larger for some landscapes than others. The results also revealed significant differences in preferences among landscape types. Specifically, participants tended to prefer the more natural landscapes to the more urban landscapes. A systematic analysis of the visual features of these stimuli revealed a positive correlation between physiological arousal and the visual impact of photovoltaic systems. Overall, we conclude that both physiology and behavior can be relevant for studies of landscape perception and that these insights may inform planners and policy makers in the implementation of landscape changes related to RES.
Shifting from techno-economic to socio-ecological priorities: Incorporating landscape preferences and ecosystem services into the siting of renewable energy infrastructure
Salak, Boris; Hunziker, Marcel; Grêt-Regamey, Adrienne; et al. (2024)
PLoS ONE
This study examines the siting scenarios for renewable energy installations (REI) in a mountainous region of Europe (Switzerland), incorporating the external costs of ecosystem services and, innovatively, social preferences. This approach challenges the prevalent techno-economic siting paradigm, which often overlooks these externalities. To minimize the external costs of the scenarios while maximizing energy yield, Marxan, an optimization software, was employed. The energy target for all scenarios is set at 25 TWh/a, stemming from the energy gap anticipated due to the phase-out of Swiss nuclear reactors by 2050. This target is met using renewable energy infrastructure such as wind, roof-mounted photovoltaic, and ground-mounted photovoltaic systems. By integrating social preferences into the optimization, this study showcases a promising implementation that transcends the software’s intended applications. It complements techno-economic approaches and offers alternative decision-making avenues. The conventional "roof first" strategy proved ineffective in preventing extensive land use for the development of new renewable energy infrastructure. Strategies incorporating ground-mounted photovoltaic infrastructure were more spatially, ecologically, and socially efficient than those without. The strategy optimized for energy yield exhibited the highest spatial efficiency but incurred significant ecosystem service costs and, surprisingly, had low social costs. In contrast, the strategy prioritizing ecosystem services was the most efficient in terms of ecosystem service costs but had elevated social costs and was spatially less efficient than other strategies. The strategy optimized for social preferences incurred the lowest social costs and excelled in spatial efficiency and ecosystem service costs. Notably, this strategy employed a limited number of planning units linked to both high ecosystem service and social costs. The findings underscore that incorporating social preferences significantly enhances the evaluation of siting options. This inclusion allows for the social acceptance of investments to be factored into costs, facilitating more informed and inclusive decisions.
ENERGYSCAPE – Recommendations for a Landscape Strategy for Renewable Energy Systems
Wissen Hayek, Ulrike; Spielhofer, Reto; Salak, Boris; et al. (2019)
Within the scope of the NRP 70 project «ENERGYSCAPE», social preferences for landscape development with a combination of different infrastructures of renewable energy systems are systematically investigated in an online panel survey and a laboratory experiment. The preferences for the investigated landscape scenarios can be explained by the landscape and the perception of its structure, by physiological reactions to the scenarios as well as by connotations to the landscape and to renewa-ble energy infrastructures. The results provide the basis for recommendations that can help to promote a socially accepted landscape development with renewable energy systems.
Greater place attachment to urban parks enhances relaxation: Examining affective and cognitive responses of locals and bi-cultural migrants to virtual park visits
Bazrafshan, Mahsa; Spielhofer, Reto; Wissen Hayek, Ulrike; et al. (2023)
Landscape and Urban Planning
This work is an experimental contribution to assessing the relationship between place attachment and well-being in urban parks in a mobility and migratory context. Using virtual park visits, we aimed at finding out whether place attachment and familiarity with parks are related to physiological responses, i.e. relaxation/arousal. The experimental study involved bi-cultural residents and locals who were invited to experience two comparable urban parks in an audio-visual laboratory. The virtual visit included a Persian Garden in Iran and a historic park in Switzerland. During the session, subjects’ affective responses were measured via skin conductance activity and a questionnaire was used to collect information on aspects of place attachment/identity and perceptual properties. Statistical analyses show that place attachment and familiarity with the cultural background of a park have a significant influence on the affective responses, particularly relaxation. In addition, we find some experimental evidence that measurable place attachment has developed among bi-cultural migrants in their new place of residence. Results fit well to theories of place attachment that are compiled in the article
Erneuerbare Energien im Spannungsfeld gesellschaftlicher Ansprüche
Salak, Boris; Spielhofer, Reto; Hunziker, Marcel; et al. (2024)
Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Forstwesen
Das Schweizer Energiesystem soll gemäss Energiestrategie 2050 massgeblich mit Photovoltaik- (PV) und Windenergieanlagen umgestaltet werden. Jedoch beeinflussen diese Anlagen die Wahrnehmung der Landschaft durch die Bevölkerung und können zu Konflikten mit verschiedenen gesellschaftlichen Interessen führen. Auch der Wald steht zunehmend in der Diskussion, einen Beitrag zur Energiewende zu leisten. Um Zielkonflikte zwischen der Produktion von erneuerbarer Energie und anderen gesellschaftlichen Interessen besser zu verstehen, zeigt dieser Artikel den Beitrag der Anwendung räumlicher Optimierungsmodelle, wobei zur Standortfindung erneuerbarer Energieanlagen verschiedene Planungsprioritäten berücksichtigt werden. Den Prioritäten entsprechend optimale Standorte werden auf der Basis technoökonomischer, ökologischer und gesellschaftlicher Kosten ermittelt und damit einhergehende Zielkonflikte integrativ untersucht. Räumliche Zusammenhänge zwischen Anlagenstandorten und weiteren raumrelevanten Landnutzungsinteressen werden verdeutlicht. Schliesslich werden die Wirkungen der Landschaftsveränderung auf gesellschaftliche Präferenzen für Standorte aufgezeigt. Ein solches Systemverständnis kann sowohl entscheidungstragenden als auch planenden Personen helfen, die sozialen, ökologischen und ökonomischen Auswirkungen ihrer Entscheidungen besser zu verstehen und dieses Verständnis in die Planung von erneuerbaren Energien einzubringen.
Impact on the perceived landscape quality through renewable energy infrastructure
Salak, Boris; Kienast, Felix; Olschewski, Roland; et al. (2022)
Renewable Energy
This paper examines how mixes (wind, photovoltaic, power lines) of different renewable energy infrastructure (REI) impact people's preferences for various landscape types. This does not only involve the visual character but also meanings that are assigned to these landscapes, which together influence the perceived landscape quality. The research is based on a representative online panel survey of Swiss residents (n = 1062). A discrete choice model (15 choice tasks) was implemented to estimate people's preferences for different REI scenarios across several landscape types. Hierarchical Bayes analysis allowed us to determine preferences of the different respondents, while choice simulation allowed us to estimate preferences for every potential scenario (n = 224) of the discrete choice experiment. While the results show a heterogeneous picture of people's preferences, they also reveal common general patterns. Near-natural, mid/high-elevation landscapes in the Alps are clearly rejected for REI implementation. Landscapes dominated by settlements or intensive agricultural use and landscapes in mountain tourist areas are preferably selected for REI developments. REI scenarios including overhead power lines perform consistently lower than scenarios without power lines. Overall, high preferences for scenarios with low REI indicate that society still lacks awareness of the need for massive REI implementation to achieve a sustainable energy transition.

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Reto Spielhofer

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