Wind Farms in Forests Boost Energy Output, Norway Research Finds

Researchers at the University of Oslo, Norway, modeled how protecting forests of varying ecological value impacts the design of a net-zero electricity system. They treated onshore wind generation within forests and on non-forested land as separate technologies, applying their model to the Norwegian landscape.

The analysis reveals that, at equal cost, the system prioritizes wind turbines located in forests, with forest wind accounting for 60 to 90 percent of total onshore wind capacity in scenarios with fewer restrictions. Excluding forests from wind development increases system costs by up to 0.5 percent per gigawatt of lost wind potential, and the benefits of stricter forest protection diminish as ecological criteria tighten. The study also shows that deploying solar energy influences the value of wind resources, potentially displacing one or the other.