There are several complaints that plague the wind industry including noise, visual impact and bird and bat mortality. Along with these complaints are sources that attempt to mitigate these issues. However, as with any emerging industry, the extent of negatives and positives are not known until later. That is why research is focused on answering these questions.
![""]("http://domesticfuel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ge_wind_turbines1-300x225.jpg" "\"ge_wind_turbines\"")
For example, many in the wind industry along with government agencies and universities have been conducting research on the topic of bird fatalities. The research includes bird and bat behaviors including migration, collisions statistics, how the turbine designs themselves affect birds and bats, and even how site selection can mitigate negative impacts.
Other areas of research focus around noise. Many people who live near wind farms complain about the noise, but how loud are they? The closest wind turbine to a home is 300 meters but they are usually placed further away. At this distance, a turbine will have a sound pressure level of 43 decibels. This decibel level equates to the noise emitted by an average air conditioner, which can reach 50 decibels of noise or a refrigerator which can reach up to 40 decibels.
![""]("http://domesticfuel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/GE-sm-wind-turbine-300x210.jpg" "\"GE")
General Electric (GE), one of the leading wind turbine technology developers and manufactures, has taken this complaint seriously. As a result, they have published a new graphic that demonstrates the "noise" factor of a wind turbine. According to GE, at .3 miles (500 meters) away from a turbine, the sound pressure level drops to 38 decibels.
According to Keith Longtin of GE Global Research, in most places, background noise ranges from 40 to 45 decibels, meaning that a turbine’s noise would be lost among other noises. For the stillest, most rural areas, Longtin says the background noise is 30 decibels. At that level, a turbine located about a mile away wouldn’t be heard. While more research is certainly needed, you can compare the noise from a wind turbine with the noise of other household items in the graph above.
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((Comments on this story may be sent to health@closeupmedia.com))
![""]("http://domesticfuel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ge_wind_turbines1.jpg" "\"ge_wind_turbines\"")
For example, many in the wind industry along with government agencies and universities have been conducting research on the topic of bird fatalities. The research includes bird and bat behaviors including migration, collisions statistics, how the turbine designs themselves affect birds and bats, and even how site selection can mitigate negative impacts.![""]("http://domesticfuel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/GE-sm-wind-turbine.jpg" "\"GE")
General Electric (GE), one of the leading wind turbine technology developers and manufactures, has taken this complaint seriously. As a result, they have published a new graphic that demonstrates the "noise" factor of a wind turbine. According to GE, at .3 miles (500 meters) away from a turbine, the sound pressure level drops to 38 decibels.
6 Comments »
Alec Salt
The most important part of this image that most people will not appreciate is the “A” after dB (i.e. dB (A)). This means that all the infrasound (sound frequencies less than 20 Hz) generated by the turbine, which undoubtedly affect the ear at levels well below those that are heard, is excluded from the measurement. DB (A) measurements are equivalent to considering only the visible portion of sunlight and concluding that sunlight cannot harm you. We all know that the invisible component of sunlight (the ultraviolet light) is the cause of skin and eye problems. Similarly, it is the unheard infrasound component of wind turbine noise that causes problems to nearby residents. Until the industry deals with the infrasound component, the problem of wind turbine noise on nearby communities will not be solved. Long term infrasound exposure disturbs sleep and this graphic conveniently ignores this problem. So the graphic may be visually appealing but it misrepresents the true (infrasound-dominated) nature of wind turbine noise. If wind turbines were really as quiet as a refigerator, do you really think people would be abandoning their homes? The noise that is really bothering people (i.e. the infrasound) is being conveniently ignored.
Dennis Makarov
I’ve stood under utility scale wind turbines when the wind was blowing 20 mph, and the noise was louder than I expected. I consider myself a wind power advocate, but personally, I would not want to live near one.
The problem is not the intensity of the noise, but the fact that it is nearly continuous — it may be there all night with no relief. It would be like people standing under your open bedroom window talking all night long. They may not be that loud, but the fact that they never stop becomes annoying.
If you live on a country road, a passing motorcycle would be louder than a wind turbine, but also may last only 15 seconds or so and happen only a couple of times a night. A noise that is present 24/7 wears people down after awhile.
The problem isn’t intensity, but duration. The GE website addresses only intensity.
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