In a study that UConn says is the first of its kind, researchers at the college and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found no evidence that wind turbines have negative effects on nearby property values or home sales.
Researchers analyzed more than 122,000 Massachusetts home sales within five miles of current or future locations of 41 wind turbines, finding no impact on home sales or values.
“Although there have been claims of significant property value impacts near operating wind turbines that regularly surface in the press or in local communities, strong evidence to support those claims has consistently failed to materialize in all of the major U.S. studies conducted so far,” said Ben Hoen, a Berkeley Lab researcher who co-authored the report.
Meanwhile, the study also found that other environmental factors can have significant positive or negative effects. Beaches and open space, for example, increase property values, while proximity to major highways or electricity transmission lines can have negative impacts, the study found.
The study tracked Massachusetts home sales that took place from 1998 to 2012, the largest data set ever analyzed, UConn said.
The study, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and Massachusetts, was also unique in that it analyzed densely populated areas. Previous studies have measured the impact on rural communities, which typically have lower values, according to UConn.
