Wind power generation produces a lot of wind noise

How noisy are wind turbines?

But some complaints have been made that they can cause too much noise for residents living within a mile of the blades. So just how noisy are these turbines? The closest that a wind turbine is typically placed to a home is 300 meters or more. At that distance, a turbine will have a sound pressure level of 43 decibels.

Should wind turbine noise be considered when designing a wind turbine?

Solving the issues associated with wind turbine noise generation will go a long way in promoting wind as one of the alternative energy generation technologies. Noise should be considered when designing any wind turbine, specifically low frequency noise related to RPM and airfoil selection.

Does noise affect people living near wind turbines?

Of concern is the impact of noise, or the perception of noise, on the residents living near wind turbines. It is alleged that health issues are the result of low frequency noise however other illnesses and annoyances abound. This must be addressed if people and wind turbines are to coexist.

Why is wind turbine noise important?

Wind is a clean, cheap, and inexhaustible source of energy. However, the noise from wind turbines constitutes an important hindrance for the widespread application of wind energy. As a result, there is considerable interest in wind turbine noise, from a number of angles.

How to predict wind turbine noise?

The swishing character of the sound can be explained by trailing edge noise directivity and convective amplification. A semi-analytical, semi-empirical prediction method can accurately predict the characteristics of wind turbine noise. Wind turbine noise can be halved by means of serrations, without adverse effects on the aerodynamic performance.

Why is wind turbine noise so intrusive?

The character of wind turbine noise is known to make it especially intrusive, arising from amplitude modulation associated with blade passage past the tower, and the dominance of low frequencies in the received sound spectrum. These are implicated in sleep disturbance and deprivation, and the resultant adverse health effects.