Special framework for the spatial planning & the sustainable development of renewable energy sources

Greece has adopted measures to support renewable energy sources ensuring the simplification of the licensing procedures. A regulatory framework is presented for the determination of the appropriate areas and the constraints for the installation of renewable energy projects, categorised by activity (wind farms, small hydroelectric projects, photovoltaic parks), based on the available national data. The sites that are infeasible for installation are defined. Regarding the spatial planning of wind farms, the national territory is divided into major categories based on the exploitable wind potential and particular spatial and environmental characteristics. Criteria are set for the installation of wind farms in the mainland and for their integration into the landscape in such a way that the visual effect has the least possible impact. The cases of installation at inhabited islands and marine areas are also reported. Regarding the spatial planning of Small Hydroelectric Projects, the water districts with exploitable hydraulic potential and restrictions concerning the capacity of the water stream are defined. Criteria are set for the installation of these projects in such a way that the environmental burden is low, taking into account technical and geological constraints. Privileged areas for the installation of biomass/biogas and geothermal energy projects are also reported. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.