Wind farms' effect on temperatures and rain in the areas around them had not been quantified until now, the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), said in a statement.
Some recent studies concluded that "giant" wind farms cause a significant rise in temperatures, especially at night, in the areas around them, said CNRS, one of the organisations that participated in the study.
The new study, in which the Atomic Energy Commission, the Alternative Energy Commission and the University of Versailles also participated, focused on the effects on climate if Europe, as expected, doubles its wind energy production by 2020.
The study by French and Italian researchers found the effects of wind farms are "extremely weak in terms of climate change," with differences of just 0.30C detected in some regions and a slight drop in precipitation, a change that was important only in winter, the CNRS said.
The study, which was conducted using climate simulations that took into account wind farms' effects on the atmosphere, concluded further research was needed out to 2050, when wind energy output is projected to have doubled or tripled.
