title: Regional climate model simulations indicate limited climatic impacts by operational and planned European wind farms.
abstract: The rapid development of wind energy has raised concerns about environmental impacts. Temperature changes are found in the vicinity of wind farms and previous simulations have suggested that large-scale wind farms could alter regional climate. However, assessments of the effects of realistic wind power development scenarios at the scale of a continent are missing. Here we simulate the impacts of current and near-future wind energy production according to European Union energy and climate policies. We use a regional climate model describing the interactions between turbines and the atmosphere, and find limited impacts. A statistically significant signal is only found in winter, with changes within ±0.3 °C and within 0-5% for precipitation. It results from the combination of local wind farm effects and changes due to a weak, but robust, anticyclonic-induced circulation over Europe. However, the impacts remain much weaker than the natural climate interannual variability and changes expected from greenhouse gas emissions.
authors: Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, IPSL, laboratoire CEA-CNRS-UVSQ Orme des Merisiers, 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Vautard
authors: I-Tésé, Institut de Technico-Economie des Systèmes Energétiques CEA/DEN/DANS Centre de Saclay Batiment 125 F-91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
authors: Françoise
authors: F
authors: Thais
authors: Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, IPSL, laboratoire CEA-CNRS-UVSQ Orme des Merisiers, 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
authors: Isabelle
authors: I
authors: Tobin
authors: Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, IPSL, laboratoire CEA-CNRS-UVSQ Orme des Merisiers, 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
authors: François-Marie
authors: FM
authors: Bréon
authors: I-Tésé, Institut de Technico-Economie des Systèmes Energétiques CEA/DEN/DANS Centre de Saclay Batiment 125 F-91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
authors: Jean-Guy
authors: JG
authors: Devezeaux de Lavergne
authors: Institut National de l'Environnement industriel et de RISques, Parc Technologique Alata, BP2, Verneuil-en-Halatte 60550, France.
authors: Augustin
authors: A
authors: Colette
authors: Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, IPSL, laboratoire CEA-CNRS-UVSQ Orme des Merisiers, 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
authors: Pascal
authors: P
authors: Yiou
authors: ENEA Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development; UTMEA-CLIM Energy Environment Modeling Unit-Climate & Impact Modeling Laboratory, via Anguillarese 301, I-00123 Roma, Italy.
authors: Paolo Michele
authors: PM
authors: Ruti