Response to noise from modern wind farms in The Netherlands

Abstract

The increasing number and size of wind farms call for more data on human response to wind turbine noise, so that a generalized dose-response relationship can be modeled and possible adverse health effects avoided. This paper reports the results of a 2007 field study in The Netherlands with 725 respondents. A dose-response relationship between calculated A-weighted sound pressure levels and reported perception and annoyance was found. Wind turbine noise was more annoying than transportation noise or industrial noise at comparable levels, possibly due to specific sound properties such as a "swishing" quality, temporal variability, and lack of nighttime abatement. High turbine visibility enhances negative response, and having wind turbines visible from the dwelling significantly increased the risk of annoyance. Annoyance was strongly correlated with a negative attitude toward the visual impact of wind turbines on the landscape. The study further demonstrates that people who benefit economically from wind turbines have a significantly decreased risk of annoyance, despite exposure to similar sound levels. Response to wind turbine noise was similar to that found in Sweden so the dose-response relationship should be generalizable.

A discussion of wind turbine interaction and stall contributions to wind farm noise

“…This is of concern as many studies report that exposure to high enough levels of noise can disturb sleep leading to increases in stress (Pedersen et al 2009). When trying to sleep there is a lack of visual stimuli which may result in disturbance from noise that is not disturbing at other times of day.…”

“…These studies report complaints due to qualities referred to as "swishing", "thumping" or "throbbing" (among others), which often occur at the blade pass frequency (Oerlemans & Schepers 2009, Pedersen et al 2009, Pedersen & Persson Waye 2004, Persson Waye & Öhrström 2002, Van den Berg 2004. Characterisation of these noise qualities is hindered by the subjective and interchangeable use of the terms "throbbing", "swishing" and "thumping" in the literature.…”

Listening Test Comparing A-Weighted and C-Weighted Sound Pressure Level as Indicator of Wind Turbine Noise Annoyance

“…It could be that the increased annoyance of the residents is a consequence of a generally higher noise sensitivity of that group but such tendencies should be counteracted by the PNE procedure unless the pink noise is excepted from the increased noise sensitivity. Moreover, the residents group can not be considered representative for people in general living near turbines as the majority of the population exposed to wind turbine noise are not bothered [1,2].…”

“…The sound from modern wind turbines is mainly generated from the turbulent boundary layer at the blade's trailing edges [4] and is commonly described as a "swishing" sound by nearby residents [2]. In an earlier study, Persson-Waye and Öhrström [5] investigated how several psycho-acoustic parameters influence the perception of wind turbine noise.…”

“…However, plants of wind turbine often concern neighbors because of anticipated disturbance of the visual and acoustic environment. Among residents living close to wind turbines, their noise is typically a source of annoyance [1][2][3].…”