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New wind farm - noise

  • 29-03-2020 8:27am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,167 ✭✭✭


    Morning all.


    The new Bonniconlon wind farm is now up and running with all 12 turbines operating. I am 2.06 km away as the crow flies and today, a very still day here, all 12 are spinning and the background roar and whooshing sound is very apparent.

    2 questions really. Are there not some regulations governing this noise output and secondly despite being a still day the turbines are spinning, so is this part of the commisioning process?

    TIA

    TT


Comments

  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,537 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    It's probably windier up there :)

    http://archive.met.ie/forecasts/5day-ireland.asp
    At the moment the wind is blowing the opposite way to the prevailing wind so YMMV


    https://www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/noise/


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,167 ✭✭✭TopTec


    Thanks for the 2 links Cap'n. Nah, no wind and other wind farms are still, must be part of the commisioning process. Unnatural wind over the next few days, North Easterlies are rare here so that is a factor. I am surprised at the level of noise though.

    TT


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,566 ✭✭✭Yellow_Fern


    Noise pollution may be the next big thing in concern about pollution.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,167 ✭✭✭TopTec


    Noise pollution may be the next big thing in concern about pollution.


    How so?

    TT


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,566 ✭✭✭Yellow_Fern


    TopTec wrote: »
    How so?

    TT

    There has been a huge interest in air pollution and its impact on health in the last few years. Some of the improvements in domestic air pollution reduction can help with noise which I think could become more of interest in the future but yeah a long way to go.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 283 ✭✭Crazyivan 1979


    There will be limits set down in the planning, but these can vary. They can be an absolute limit of 43 dB (La90) or the noise must not be above 6dB above background levels for day-time and just an absolue limit for night. There may also a requirement that states no tonal noise may be present.

    These limits are in effect at the external of nearby dwellings


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,167 ✭✭✭TopTec


    It is not the loud noise, which is certainly under the db limit set by the government but the low level constant background roar, similar to having the sea shore near your house.

    All the locals I have spoken to have resigned themselves to the visual stimga but are all surprised at the noise... the closer you go, within 1.5 k, the more obvious the swoosh of the blades, (the tonal modulation) is.

    On a still day, like Tues am, you can also hear the whining of the electrical gearing turning the turbines trying to find a wind direction.

    TT


  • Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    TopTec wrote: »
    It is not the loud noise, which is certainly under the db limit set by the government but the low level constant background roar, similar to having the sea shore near your house.

    All the locals I have spoken to have resigned themselves to the visual stimga but are all surprised at the noise... the closer you go, within 1.5 k, the more obvious the swoosh of the blades, (the tonal modulation) is.

    On a still day, like Tues am, you can also hear the whining of the electrical gearing turning the turbines trying to find a wind direction.

    TT

    I live a small field away from the ocean and the noise is not a constant and varies. On a calm day like today there is total silence.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,601 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    It's probably windier up there :)

    http://archive.met.ie/forecasts/5day-ireland.asp
    At the moment the wind is blowing the opposite way to the prevailing wind so YMMV


    https://www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/noise/

    Its more likely the wind farm is drawing power from the grid to keep the blades moving as prolonged stationary periods can cause them to cease up, especcially in cold weather - another little fact the wind industry would prefer folk not to know about

    http://www.aweo.org/windconsumption.html


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,601 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    TopTec wrote: »
    It is not the loud noise, which is certainly under the db limit set by the government but the low level constant background roar, similar to having the sea shore near your house.

    All the locals I have spoken to have resigned themselves to the visual stimga but are all surprised at the noise... the closer you go, within 1.5 k, the more obvious the swoosh of the blades, (the tonal modulation) is.

    On a still day, like Tues am, you can also hear the whining of the electrical gearing turning the turbines trying to find a wind direction.

    TT

    I have friends living near a wind farm outside Claremorris - same issues. They have considered moving but the chances of selling a house for anything reasonable given the nearby windfarm is rather a forlorn hope according to the local estate agents they contacted. You and your neighbours might consider getting some indepedent testing of noise and ultrasound levels around your properties. The wind developers will have claimed they have tested such things and all is well - but my experience of wind farm EIS's produced by developers would make me seek an independent view on such things. In the meantime below is link to an interesting case in Cork recently.

    https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/Cork-brothers-and-sister-awarded-225k-for-impact-of-windfarm-Claims-it-caused-nosebleeds-earaches-and-loss-of-power-in-limbs--76269dad-9c8e-44d0-845b-4e0632419fc1-ds


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  • Registered Users Posts: 462 ✭✭Ish66


    Really, It's built, When I moved to my house 2 years ago the Railway track 100 mtrs behind my house carried a lot of freight during the night, It still does, I just dont notice anymore, You will too...Chill...........:)


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,980 ✭✭✭s1ippy


    Birdnuts wrote: »
    Its more likely the wind farm is drawing power from the grid to keep the blades moving as prolonged stationary periods can cause them to cease up - another little fact the wind industry would prefer folk not to know about
    I mean, why is that a problem? Presumably over time they generate more energy than they use, otherwise they would just be pointless propellors being built to drain power from the grid. They're erected in locations where there is typically wind, so those periods of drawing energy are not usually long.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,601 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    s1ippy wrote: »
    I mean, why is that a problem? Presumably over time they generate more energy than they use, otherwise they would just be pointless propellors being built to drain power from the grid. They're erected in locations where there is typically wind, so those periods of drawing energy are not usually long.

    Cos the wind industry makes claims on the notional capacity of wind farms that bares no relationship to the their actual output - and the media tend to recycle such BS to the general pubic when reporting on such matters


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