Wind Turbine Noise

With 3 homes within 650 metres and twenty houses within a kilometre noise is a major issue. Crida state that noise will be like rustling leaves but serious adverse health impacts are reported that may be due to noise (see update below).  Indications from other wind sites are that the location and size of the turbines will produce blade noise if not turbine noise. The submission by Sharenergy confirms noise will be generated.  In Fife the minimum separation between wind turbines and homes is 2 kilometres and in Perth and Kinross it is 20 times the turbine height. In these areas the proposal would fail immediately due to proximity to homes.  

Wind turbine noise is characterised by its loudness, pulsating character, low frequency component, and its continuous nature (often 24/7), which combine to affect:

• Sleep
• Rest
• The ability to enjoy the amenity that is your home
• Health issues
• Loss of value to home
• Concentration making using complex equipment potentially dangerous
• Impaired cognitive ability
• Mood changes and constant tiredness which leads to increased irritability, feelings of despair, and feelings of inability to cope with normal day to day activities.

"Tiredness means that you become more prone to accidents, not ideal in any circumstance but dangerous on a farm. The peculiar noises that the wind turbines emit cannot only be heard, they can also be felt by the body, and thus trying to rest becomes impossible. We tried: fans, white noise machines, sleeping tablets, red wine and ear plugs. The latter mask background noises but allow the low frequency sound wave to penetrate so that it feels part of your body. Meanwhile the beat, the pulsation, that is slightly faster than our human hearts beat, means that you feel as if you are constantly trying to get your heart to catch up with this external rhythm that is felt by the body rather than heard, so rest is impossible. The problem with the noises from the wind turbines is that they are so unpredictable, and the noise draws your attention and completely distracts you." [Source: Evidence for Submission to the Select Committee on Economic Affairs, House of Lords on The Economics of Renewable Energy - a resident living 900 metres from a wind farm.]

Scientific Evidence of Adverse Health Effects

There are peer-reviewed scientific articles indicating that wind turbines may have an adverse impact on human health. International research and media reports document people exposed over time, to too-close wind turbines, are experiencing adverse health effects and symptoms. Click here to see this fully referenced material.

The Society for Wind Vigilance has compiled a short primer of references which indicate that industrial wind turbines may have an adverse impact on human health.  This primer may be downloaded and distributed to assist in educating and informing those who are not aware of the potential adverse human health effects of placing industrial wind turbines close to humans. This is an extract:

In 2009 World Health Organization released a 184 page peer reviewed summary of research regarding the risks to human health from noise induced sleep disturbance.13 Some of the adverse health effect documented in the report include poor performance at work, fatigue, memory difficulties, concentration problems, motor vehicle accidents, mood disorders (depression, anxiety), alcohol and other substance abuse, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal disorders, obesity, impaired immune system function and a reported increased risk of mortality. (14)

The A/CanWEA Panel Review acknowledges that wind turbine low frequency noise may cause annoyance. (15)

Some of the documented effects of low frequency noise induced annoyance include task performance deterioration, reduced wakefulness, sleep disturbance, headaches, and irritation. (16)

“Unlike higher frequency noise issues, LFN (low frequency noise) is very difficult to suppress. Closing doors and windows in an attempt to diminish the effects sometimes makes it worse because of the propagation characteristics and the low-pass filtering effect of structures. Individuals often become irrational and anxious as attempts to control LFN fail, serving only to increase the individual’s awareness of the noise, accelerating the above symptoms.” (17)

The NASA Technical paper “Wind Turbine Acoustics” states “People who are exposed to wind turbine noise inside buildings experience a much different acoustic environment than do those outside….They may actually be more disturbed by the noise inside their homes than they would be outside….One of the common ways that a person might sense the noise-induced excitation of a house is through structural vibrations. This mode of observation is particularly significant at low frequencies, below the threshold of normal hearing.” (18)

13 World Health Organization, Guidelines for Community Noise,1999 http://www.euro.who.int/mediacentre/PR/2009/20091008_1

18 Harvey Hubbard et al, NASA Technical Document, Wind Turbine Acoustics, 1990

14 World Health Organization, Night Noise Guidelines for Europe, 2009 http://www.euro.who.int/InformationSources/Publications/Catalogue/20090904_12

15 W. David Colby, M.D et al., Wind Turbine Sound and Health Effects, An Expert Panel Review 2009, Prepared for American Wind Energy Association and Canadian Wind Energy Association

16 DeGagne et al., Incorporating Low Frequency Noise Legislation for the Energy Industry in Alberta, Canada Source: Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control, Volume 27, Number 2, September 2008 , pp. 105-120(16)

17 DeGagne et al., Incorporating Low Frequency Noise Legislation for the Energy Industry in Alberta, Canada Source: Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control, Volume 27, Number 2,September 2008 , pp. 105-120(16)