Wind turbine
low-frequency
noise, and
lower frequency
infra-sound noise,
interfere with
sleeping, and
otherwise
enjoying
the comforts
of homes
near wind farms
... and some
not so nearby
homes too.
Wind power
companies
coerce people
into signing
‘good neighbor
agreements --
signing away
all rights
that might
protect them,
in exchange
for a few
thousand
dollars a year.
The next line in the
wind industry’s
‘defense’ to threats
of legal action
is to quietly purchase
victims' properties,
using bullet-proof
gag clauses
to shut them up.
In the US, actions on
wind farm nuisances
pursued by neighbors
have gotten as far as
having the jury impaneled
– only to be settled
before the plaintiffs
got to tell their stories,
of intolerable suffering,
to the wind industry,
and a jury of their peers.
The wind industry
destroys value
of neighboring
properties, with the
active encouragement
of governments and
regulators who want
more wind power.
The farmers
who do business
with the wind
energy companies,
renting out their land,
get noise problems
from very nearby
wind turbines,
that quite a few
regret later.
I have written about
the subject of
infrasound before:
Summary
of those
articles:
of those
articles:
As a member of
an audiophile club,
from the mid-1980s
to mid-1990s, I had
a lot of experience
with do it yourself
subwoofer bullders,
and the effects of
high sound levels
under 30Hz.
( cycles per second )
on club members.
Infrasound
frequencies
affect your body
directly -- not
your ears.
Our ultra low
frequencies
were from
movie soundtrack
sound effects, and
electronic music,
that were
supposed
to be fun.
And those
sounds
were fun
for most
members,
but they
negatively
affected
some of us,
including me.
The repetitive
noises that
come from
wind turbines,
are not "fun"
in any way.
Infrasound
is below 20 Hz.,
officially,
but I believe
below 30Hz.
is a better
definition,
for sound
that penetrates
homes easily,
and can then
be amplified
within a room,
or within a home,
by resonating
the air within
a room, or home,
( there are bass frequency
resonances, at
frequencies related
to interior dimensions
-- every physical object
has a resonant frequency ).
IS THERE ANYTHING
YOU COULD DO
AT HOME ?
People who
normally fall asleep
in a silent room,
will have the most
serious problems.
Unfortunately,
you can NOT mask
infrasound noises
by simply turning
on a clock radio
next to your bed.
Two potential ways
to mask the noise,
would NOT appeal
to many people:
(1)
Fall asleep
while listening
to a music CD,
on a good audio
system.
(2)
Fall asleep with
a forced air furnace
fan set to move air
all night long.
Infrasound
will pass
though walls,
and can be louder
inside a home,
than outside.
Infrasound can
easily travel
several miles.
My description
of infrasound
noise may not
tell you enough,
if you have never
experienced it.
So I found one
wind farm noise
investigation,
where the people
involved gave
good descriptions:
A 2018 New Zealand
investigation into
Bald Hills Wind Farm
noise complaints
found that neighbors’
health concerns
are legitimate.
The investigation
was commissioned
by the South Gippsland
Shire Council,
at a cost of $33,600.
They were
investigating the
Noise Complaint
Notifications,
by residents
living near the
Bald Hills
Wind Farm
The investigation
was done by
James C. Smith
and Associates.
It found:
“That there is a consistency with the information contained in the completed log books and with subsequent discussions held with Mr Zakula, Mr and Mrs Fairbrother, Mr and Mrs Jelbart, and Mr Uren about their individual experiences with wind farm noise during that period."
“Without exception there are allegations that the wind farm noise is audible inside their individual homes and, as a result, there is sleep disruption during the night and early morning hours."
"There are also allegations that the wind farm noise is disruptive to daytime domestic and work activities."
“A particular difficulty in undertaking the investigation was to predict noise patterns based on weather forecasts and the experience of residents."
"It became apparent that noise patterns were unpredictable and highly changeable."
"However, on 24th and 25th July 2018, wind farm noise was clearly audible in the Zakula and Jelbart dwellings, with windows and doors shut, between the hours of 6.50pm and 9.40pm and 7.40pm and 8.40pm respectively."
“In the case of the Jelbart dwelling the noise level increased to a point where it intruded into conversation between investigators and Mr and Mrs Jelbart thus, corroborating that wind farm noise was clearly audible in dwellings and, at times, intrusive."
“It seems likely then that such noise could be heard over a television, or radio as had been recorded in some noise logs, and reported in discussions with Mr and Mrs Jelbart, and Mr Uren."
"It is noted that a noise mitigation strategy was in place at the wind farm at the time. This strategy was described by the wind farm operator as ‘… comprising a select number of wind turbines operating at reduced sound modes for a limited range of wind speeds and directions’."
“It is clear from the investigation that noise from the wind farm is audible within residences although there are noise monitoring reports stating that there is compliance by the wind farm with permit conditions and the New Zealand Standard 1998, and with a noise mitigation strategy in place at the wind farm."
“The noise was clearly audible in Mr Zakula’s dwelling at night time twice and in the Jelbart residence at night time twice and this is held to be unreasonable in both cases."
“The experience at the Jelbart residence on 24th and 25th July 2018 whereby wind farm noise intruded on conversation within the residence at night time is seen to be detrimental to personal comfort and the enjoyment of the residential environment by Mr and Mrs Jelbart."
“After consideration of the completed noise logs by individual complainants and subsequent discussions with some of these individuals it appears there is a nuisance caused by wind farm noise, in that, the noise is audible frequently within individual residences and this noise is adversely impacting on the personal comfort and wellbeing of individuals.”
Operators of the
Bald Hill Wind Farm’s
52 turbines,
have been provided
with the 25-page report
and attachments,
which include
contemporaneous
comments by the
wind farm neighbors,
such as:
“woken up at 4am”,
“woken up at 2am
roaring sound”,
“woken up at 4am
roaring / rolling noise”
“woken up at 3.30am
could get
back to sleep,
got up at 7am
could still hear
noise through radio”.