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Small
Wind Factsheets
How
Do Small Wind Systems Affect Property Values?
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There
is no evidence to support the concern sometimes raised that the
existence of a residential wind turbine will lower property values
on adjacent or near-by properties. Michael Bergey of Bergey Windpower
writes,
"The fear of diminished property values is a charge
that is sometimes raised by abutters or other concerned neighbors
that for whatever reason do not want the small wind turbine installed
in their neighborhood. But, there is no evidence of this having
ever occurred. Our customers have sold their homes, and adjacent
lots they owned, and they have had direct and nearby neighbors
sell their homes. In all cases but one the wind turbine was not
an issue. In the one case where the turbine was an issue the turbine
had been partially installed on the abutting property due to a
faulty survey. This situation was resolved amicably between the
turbine owner and the new neighbor."1
Property values have not
declined
- Informal surveys of property values
around three small windmills in the Rochester, NY area showed
that the asking price for most property near residential wind
turbines was higher than the assessed value."2
- During the permitting of Dave Blittersdorf's
10-kilowatt Bergey wind turbine for his family's rural home
on 10 acres of land in Vermont, a distant neighbor presented
two letters from real estate appraisers subjectively claiming
that the wind turbine would decrease the value of other homes
in the area. Data disproving this came during 2001 when the
neighbor closest to Blittersdorf's wind turbine sold their home
in 24 hours above the listing price. The new neighbors wanted
to live in a neighborhood that was concerned about the environment
and loved the idea of being next door to a wind turbine. 3
- Mr. Bruce Bailey of AWS Scientific,
a consultant in wind energy, states that "properly operating
windmills do not negatively impact neighbors nor harm property
values."4
Some home buyers would
pay more for renewable energy
A
survey of 300 California homeowners, conducted for the California
Energy Commission by a market research firm, found that 50% of homeowners
surveyed "would be willing to pay more for a home equipped
with solar and wind technology," according to an article in
the March 15, 2002 issue of Realty Times, a publication
dedicated to real estate news and advice. The study also found that
60% of homeowners surveyed "would be more interested in a home
that has a renewable energy system already installed versus a home
that does not."5
References
1.
Michael Bergey, Bergey Windpower.
2. http://www.windzone.mkeis.org
3. Posting on http://www.egroups.com/list/awea-windnet,
11/13/2002
4. AWS
Report
5. Realty Times, March 15, 2002
Other
Fact Sheets Available on Small Wind Energy:
What is Small Wind?
How Much Noise Do Small Wind Turbines Make?
Do Small Turbines Kill Birds?
What About Visual Impact?
Small Wind Systems and Public Safety
The Economics
of Small Wind
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