In an attempt to acquire a holistic view on the social acceptance and attitude towards the wind farm existence and it's repowering proposal in South Euboea, a survey was performed. The subjective questionnaire evaluation method provided the opportunity to acknowledge the attitude and readiness of the local society towards a repowering scheme implementation.

The investigation included a survey questionnaire, which was handed in and was completed by the inhabitants of the Karistos town and neighboring villages. The scope has been to evaluate the public attitude towards various aspects in regard to the existing wind farm and the repowering project proposal, through a comprehensible and simple questionnaire. The survey questions were divided into three parts out of which the first and second part were addressed to the public and the third one, to the technical personnel of existing wind farm installations that is not prsented here for confidential reasons. The questions addressed to the public, concerned the awareness and perception on environmental issues and the wind turbine repowering proposal evaluation.

Socio-political acceptance is associated to the policy makers, key stakeholders and public attitude while it depends largely on the market and community strategies [Kaldellis, Social Attitude Towards Wind Energy Applications In Greece ]. Responsive individuals own a variety of considerations and predispositions that include group perception, decision and expectation directly connected to the received answers. Knowledge appears to be substantially indispensable on the view and the public opinion debate, especially in this narrow policy survey concerning the wind farm repowering proposal. When people were asked in broad single item questions they appeared likely to respond in a more positive manner than in isolated specific questions referring to the existing wind farm and the future repowering scheme.

Environmental Concerns

The first part of the questionnaire consisted of questions that designate the environmental awareness and sensitivity of the area inhabitants. Among others, the inquiry investigated the public familiarity and concern in terms and phenomena like the climate change and the renewable energy forms. The received responses show the support of the region's residents on the decentralization and democratization of the sustainable resources as solar and wind waste incineration, in the area. As seen in the next figure, the majority of the respondents favor the solar and wind energy production in comparison to the rest of the renewable energy sources (RES).

Public Opinion Results, on RES.

Public Attitude VS Repowering Proposal

The second part of the questionnaire investigated the social attitude against the wind farm installation and the repowering proposal. The addressed questions referred to the existing wind turbine site in the area, the installation improvement, the expectations from the proposed repowering project and the introduced predefined benefits in regard to the society and the surrounding environment.

According to Theocharis D. Tsoutsos , the social acceptance for wind parks is 40% in the Greek mainland and slightly greater in the island areas. In addition to the latter, Kaldelis presents that in the Greek islands, the public is clearly encouraging to existing wind energy applications , yet, not quite supportive against new installations. In the examined area of Karistos, the public has a general and conceptual awareness of the financial and environmental benefits from the wind farm operation, yet they appear to obtain a negative attitude towards wind farm installations. People were asked to describe the site surrounding area by selecting among the answers like peaceful, exciting, beautiful, unpleasant, noisy, as depicted in figure.

Public Opinion Results, on RES.

In the respond evaluation it is seen that most individuals tend to consider of the wind farm installation as unpleasant and noisy but at the same time peaceful and exciting. In another question of the survey, concerning the desirable noise from the wind farm operation, 12 people responded they would prefer it sounded as rustling leaves (30 dB) while 9 individuals would choose the ticking clock sound (20 dB).

The immense public concern for the wind farm aesthetics, the noise level as well as the ecosystem balancing is additionally recognized in the public survey conducted for the South Euboea area titled, Analyzing the relation between noise-visual impact and the public attitude towards wind energy applications in Greece.. According to the latter, 46% of the inhabitants appear to be having a negative opinion on the wind turbine visual impact while 16% of the respondents support that the machines are not in harmony with the surrounding. These quantified responses are also verified in the present conducted survey, as seen in figure above where the social opinion on the unpleasant and noisy wind farm perspective appears to have a significantly great percentage.

Social Response to the Repowering Proposal

The rapid increase of wind power project installations in the Karistos area within the short time period of the last 12 years, has made people vigilant and particularly concerned in the imple- mentation of a wind farm repowering scheme. However, the economic self interest, as the local job creation and the lower electricity payment as well as environmental reasons and less pollution are factors that affect positively the social opinion in the proposed repowering scheme implementation. More than 80% of the respondents would prefer to have cheap electricity, 65% out of which would additionally welcome the local job creation for the area's residents. The expected result from the repowering project is depicted in the next figure.

Public Opinion Results, on RES.

General support in contradiction to the local opposition towards the wind farm project re- powering proposal is likely to have been encouraged by the Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) syndrome perception. The latter comprises the relation between general and local public reaction towards a proposed development within the borders of their living area. The reaction appears negative in most circumstances but it has been empirically proved to be in some cases positive. An American scientist named Eric Smith, [ Explaining NIMBY Opposition to Wind Power] has explored the multidimensional nature of the causal, political and structural parameters that affect NIMBYism. He concluded to the fact that visual wind farm perception and potential environmental annoyance have major impact on the public acceptance which is significantly affected by local factors.

Public Opinion Results, on RES.

The Kafireas region inhabitants seem to favor the improvement of RES in Kafireas at a support percentage of 78%, yet they appear to be very concerned and fairly concerned in the total of 37% and 44% correspondingly, to the concept of a repowering scheme implementation. The characteristic paradigm of this NIMBY syndrome is obvious in the observation of the next figure.

Public Opinion Results, on RES.

The Not in My Back Yard (NIMBY) Syndrome

General support in contradiction to the local opposition towards the wind farm project re- powering proposal is likely to have been encouraged by the Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) syndrome perception. The latter comprises the relation between general and local public reaction towards a proposed development within the borders of their living area. The reaction appears negative in most circumstances but it has been empirically proved to be in some cases positive. An American scientist named Eric Smith, [ Explaining NIMBY Opposition to Wind Power] has explored the multidimensional nature of the causal, political and structural parameters that affect NIMBYism. He concluded to the fact that visual wind farm perception and potential environmental annoyance have major impact on the public acceptance which is significantly affected by local factors.

The Kafireas region inhabitants seem to favor the improvement of RES in Kafireas at a support percentage of 78%, yet they appear to be very concerned and fairly concerned in the total of 37% and 44% correspondingly, to the concept of a repowering scheme implementation. The characteristic paradigm of this NIMBY syndrome is obvious in the observation of the next figure.

Public Opinion Results, on RES.

Conclusion

The public opinion and attitude towards the wind farm repowering project should be regarded as very important, since the local support is necessary for any such project's implementation welfare. Despite the unfolded dichotomy between the local opinion on Greenfield projects or repowering investments in this wind power endowment region, young people in South Euboea seem to delineate the beginning of a new era. The current (2011) debt crisis, should not be granted as the justification to imposing further environmental degradation or accelerating wind power plants in lack of efficient policies and regulatory framework. South Euboea has never entered into the manufacturing production field and thus the wind plant development in the region could be mutually encouraged and supported with the development of medium or small scale wind turbine manufacturing units that may increase the employment rates which in turn shall result to the mitigation of the local opposition.

The subjective result from the questionnaire evaluation is indispensable as it indicates the public insight and attitude towards the wind farm repowering scheme implementation. It is essential to inform the public about the benefits acquired from the repowering project especially in all aspects of their concern, as the fact that the repowering project proposal shall reduce the number of wind turbine units, therefore improve the aesthetics, as well as the in operation noise level of the new machines. Public consultation during the early stage of the proposed wind energy schemes and a pragmatic knowledge about this technology can always yield a better understanding and a valuable insight into the potential issues and impacts.