About project

A rapid increase in the number of wind turbine farms located around the world is related to the low environmental impact of this kind of energy production. One of the main drawbacks is noise. The noise emitted by wind turbines does not resemble the common industrial noise – it has different temporal-spectral characteristics. Thus, standardized procedures of monitoring and controlling noise do not fit well into specifics of wind turbines. In the effect, there is a lack of law regulations while people living around wind turbines complain about their annoying noise. In Poland – as well as in many other countries – the same noise indicators and their limits are used for monitoring both industrial and wind turbines noise. In consequence, social dissatisfaction led to the change in Polish law regarding possible localization of new wind turbine farms. Practically, this change stopped the development of this market in Poland.

The main goal of this project is to establish basis, methods and tools to reliably rate, control and manage wind turbines noise, taking into account the rule of sustainable development.

Wind turbines are specific kind of noise source, which has impact on large areas – unlike „typical” industrial sources. Thus, it seems justified not only to identify relevant characteristics of wind trubines noise but also to define procedures of measuring, computing and rating it, taking into account the nature of the source. In literature, various characteristics of this kind of noise can be found, including amplitude modulation (AM), large range of noise (the effect of height of turbines) and difficult noise-monitoring circumstances – with high speed of wind, what is generally (in „normal” situation) one of reasons when the noise monitoring is not conducted. As the impact of different wind turbines noise characteristics is still under discussion, there is a need to conduct further research.