ABSTRACT
The old adage that “A picture is worth a thousand words” is particularly apt when assessing visual impacts. Visual impact assessment (VIA) preparers use visual simulations to depict projects before they are built, both for impact assessment and stakeholder communication. This chapter introduces the major types of simulations currently used in VIAs for utility-scale energy projects, describes how the simulations are developed and presented, provides guidance on evaluating the quality of simulations, and presents important limitations and common problems associated with the use of simulations. This discussion is focused on techniques generally employed in the U.S. While the basic practices are generally the same elsewhere, some countries, such as the U.K., have stringent requirements for how simulations are prepared and presented.
