Each country has specific rules and regulations to reduce the amount of noise disturbance from wind farms. Pondera has extensive knowledge of different national regulations for the measurement, modelling, and calculation of acoustic situations.
There are several options for specialised reports depending on the current project status and the complexity of the request. The options are:
- A global exploratory analysis including specific noise contours around the wind farm development. This information is specifically modelled according to the applicable wind turbine types, distances to homes, amount of wind turbines and specific wind conditions. These kind of reports are often used as a part of a feasibility study or an environmental impact assessment;
- A comprehensive acoustic report based on specific model calculations which also covers aspects such as low frequency noise, cumulative effects with other sounds and mitigating measures. These reports can serve as a basis for a permit application or research into enforcement situations.
We now have experience in more than 1,000 projects. Because of our extensive knowledge of the procedures we are able to supply comprehensive reports that fulfill your informational needs.
How is wind turbine noise calculated?
The noise from wind turbines can be modelled based on the specific sound power levels of each wind turbine type. The models used are based on the specific national standards of the country in question. The propagation of the sound through a three dimensional space is calculated with additional inputs such as the roughness of the surface, any obstacles, the meteorological conditions and the frequency range of the source. The resulting noise for local residents or at other noise sensitive locations is compared with the legal limits for the specific country. In the Netherlands the legally permitted noise standard for wind turbines is a level of 47 dB Lden and 41 dB Lnight on the façade of a house. When calculating the noise level in homes for a specific project, the noise level gets translated into distances on a map; these are called noise contours.