Real estate appraisal is influenced by several criteria. Some are objective, others more subjective. A part of the latter relates to the vicinity of the property, including the actual or potential existence of a wind farm.
Several independent studies – covering hundreds or even thousands of real estate transactions close to wind farms – have been carried out across the globe. In France, such studies include surveys among real estate professionals. They usually conclude on a limited impact in terms of affected properties and negative consequences, some even showing the lack of any quantifiable negative impact.
As an example, a 2010 study in the North of France on five wind farms and 10,000 transactions came to the conclusion that ‘if ever an actual impact could be identified, it would be in the close vicinity (less than 2 km) and sufficiently small both in terms of property value loss and number of concerned properties.’