Do turbines emit a lot of noise?
Wind turbines do not emit a lot of noise. In fact, at a setback of 1500’, turbines reach a noise level of 43 decibels, which is similar to that of a refrigerator (40 decibels) or an air conditioner (50 decibels). Typically, two people can carry on a conversation at normal voice levels even while standing directly below a turbine.
Local ordinances and state laws help create guidelines which establish a reasonable level of sound allowed by the wind farm. When designing a wind farm, we also ensure that the turbines are located far enough away from homes so they can’t be heard and to ensure they operate unobtrusively. Learn more about wind energy and noise here.
Does the noise or frequency cause health issues?
There are no harmful health effects from exposure to wind turbine noise. Widespread myths about phenomena such as “Wind Turbine Syndrome” are based on false ideas about the impact of sound from turbines.
Multiple studies from public health agencies have determined that there is no evidence that diseases or health problems can result from infrasound or low-frequency sound that are different from such effects of “normal” sound.
While any sound, including wind turbine sound, can sometimes be annoying and lead to stress, there are no distinct harmful effects of turbine sound. There are more than 65,000 utility-scale wind turbines operating across the country with hundreds of thousands of people living close by, none of whom have adverse reactions.
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