WIND TURBINE “NOISE,” (GRINDING, AND THUMPING AND VIBRATION ASIDE), SWOOSH AND/OR AMPLITUDE MODULATION IS ACCELERATED BY UP TO FIVE TIMES AT NIGHT; FLINDERS UNIVERSITY FINDS

LIKELY MORE ANNOYING THAN OTHER SOURCES OF NOISE AT THE SAME LEVEL, STUDY FINDS.

Australia has commissioned a five-year study of the effect of noise from industrial wind turbines on the local residents. The rare investigation can only be bad news for the PR-propped industry, given the image of turbines being noiseless and in a field of green (mute and photoshopping at work).

In RENEW ECONOMY, Sophie Vorrath reported the latest:

New federally funded research investigating the association of wind farm noise with adverse effects on humans has found that the “swoosh” sound made by spinning turbine blades was likely to be more noticeable – and more annoying – to nearby residents during the night than during the day.

“AgForce is aware of excessive noise complaints at both Mt Emerald and Coopers Gap Wind Farm with a court case on noise nuisance still in progress against the Mt Emerald Wind Farm5…. Noise pollution can cause … fatigue, headaches, elevated blood pressure, irritability, digestive disorders and increased susceptibility to cold and other minor infections.”

“AgForce also has concerns about the impact of wind farms on livestock…. The British Horse Society Advisory Statement recommends a setback of at least 4 times the overall height away from the path of horses to minimise safety risk.”

MasterResource has long reported on the health and nuisance problems of industrial wind turbines on residents and wildlife. There is a reason why such turbines are built remotely and need so much transmission, adding more cost to the high costs of dilute, intermittent, uneconomic energy.…

Ed. Note: The health effects of industrial wind on local residents continues to attract mainstream research despite severe political incorrectness. It’s common sense: huge industrial machines moving in the open air have negative effects. For other posts at MasterResource on this subject, see here. This post complements yesterday’s on the nighttime amplification of noise.

“Wind turbines generate low-frequency noise (LFN, 20–200 Hz)…. [which causes] headaches, difficulty concentrating, irritability, fatigue, dizziness, tinnitus, aural pain sleep disturbances, and annoyance. Clinically, exposure to LFN from wind turbines may cause increased risk of epilepsy, cardiovascular effects, and coronary artery disease.”

“In order to reduce LFN transport from outdoors to indoors, we recommend that the windows should be kept closed, especially at nighttime because LFN is most noticeable at night. In addition, … residences in close proximity to wind turbines should be equipped with airtight windows.”

“ When neighbors complain of disturbed sleep, [wind noise models] might cite a predicted level of 40 dBA, when the actual noise that triggered awakening was a 50+ dBA spike, making turbine noise the problem.”

“Hessler & Associates agreed ‘that a wind turbine is indeed a unique source with ultra low frequency energy’ and that a ‘new Threshold of Perception’ was needed to assess turbine noise impacts.”

“Former Vestas’ CEO, Ditlev Engel has admitted that larger setback distances are the only way to address low frequency and infrasonic impacts, particularly on larger (3MW) turbines. Bigger setbacks means fewer locations for siting turbines near where people live.”

In late January, the Iowa Policy Project, Iowa Environmental Council, and the University of Iowa’s Environmental Health Sciences Research Center (IPP et al.) jumped on the ‘wind energy is safe’ bandwagon with a joint release claiming wind turbine noise does not pose a risk to human health.…