Windmills on Ice Mountain - Gamesa Wind Turbines

[George M.]

The following are official summaries of 2 presentations given at the Second International Meeting on Wind Turbine Noise a month ago at Lyon in France - see: http://www.windturbinenoise2007.org. Note that the first summary describes the talk given by Dr. Soysal who is a professor and Chairman of the Dept of Physics and Engineeriing at nearby Frostburg State University in Allegany County, MD. I hope to be able to find on-line a copy of the actual papers presented at this conference - or at least for the 2 talks described below; I'll post the weblinks here if I am able to find this info on the web.

Wind Farm Noise in Eastern US

Paper Presented at: 2nd International Meeting on Wind Turbine Noise
September 20-21, 2007, Lyon, France

Name of Paper: “Wind Farm Noise and Regulations in the Eastern United States”

Presented by: Hilkat Soysal & Dr. Oguz Soysal
Professor and Chairman of Dept of Physics and Engineering
Frostburg State University, Maryland

Noise Tests Performed at Meyersdale, PA
1) Wind farm consists of 20 wind turbines with 262 foot tall towers; tests were performed around residence located 3000 ft. from nearest turbine, where 4 turbines are visible; recordings were taken between 11:00 a.m and 4:00 pm at different days; wind speed was 3-5 mph at ground level

2) Frequency measurements were also taken
a) The frequency distribution obtained by the testing of the home located near wind turbines indicates a dominance of low frequency components below 100 Hz.
b) Recordings taken at a location without wind turbines indicates significant tonal and broadband components above 100 Hz; this represents a typical suburban residential ambient noise without industrial noise sources.

3) Decibel levels of ambient noise were taken using ‘A’ weighting and ‘C’ weighting; the difference between dBA and dBC levels was generally around 20 dB, which reflects a dominance of low frequency components.
• The international standard IEC 61400 (Wind Turbine Generator Systems – Part 11: Acoustic Noise Measurement Techniques) indicates annoyance caused by noise dominated by low frequencies is often not adequately described by the A-weighted sound pressure level. According to the standard, this is likely the case if the difference between A and C-weighted sound level pressure levels exceed approx. 20 dB.
• Other reports have stated that based on the findings of The World Health Organization (WHO), a difference of only 10 dB between A and C-weighting represents a significant amount of low frequency.

Assessment of the Nuisance Caused by Wind Turbine Noise
1) The tests performed near wind farms confirm the observations of several residents describing the sound.
• The sound has dominant low frequency components, is often periodic & rhythmic, and is present day and night, being most disturbing at night when other sources of noise are reduced.

2) For the reasons listed above, the A-weighting network may be inadequate because of the dominant low frequency components.

Regulations of Wind Turbine Noise
1) A nationwide applicable limit for windmill noise is not available in the USA. Local governments in the USA are currently developing county noise ordinances based on the guidelines suggested by Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and American Wind Energy Association.

2) dBA noise levels permissible in rural areas in other countries include:
Germany: Day – 50 Night – 35 Denmark: Day – 40 Night - 40
Netherlands: Day – 40 Night – 30 Australia: Day – 47 Night - 40

Conclusions
1) Sound generated by wind turbines has particular characteristics that create a different type of nuisance compared to other sounds.

2) The interaction of the blades with air turbulences around the tower creates low frequency & infrasound components, which causes fluctuations of sound levels.

3) The low frequency fluctuations of the noise are described as a “swishing” sound, creating an additional disturbance due to periodic & rhythmic characteristics.

4) Specific noise limits need to be developed by considering the characteristics of wind turbine noise, especially the low frequency sound components.

5) Adequate criteria to assess the wind turbine sound will greatly help the development of the wind industry.


Siting of Wind Farms

Name of Paper: “Location, Location, Location” – July, 2006

By: John Stewart, UK Noise Association Chairperson

Wind Turbine Noise
1) ‘A’ weighting of noise measurement is the subject of some controversy. Some acoustic experts argue that ‘C’ weighted measurements should be taken in addition, to capture low frequency noise. ‘G’ weighting is most appropriate for measuring infrasound.

2) In addition to the decibel level (measuring loudness), the “frequency” of noise is measured in terms of Hertz (Hz). Frequency has to do with the pitch of the noise rather than its loudness, and it can also have a bearing on a person’s health.

3) A Swedish study showed no residents were very annoyed at levels below 32.5 dBA, 20% were very annoyed at levels between 37.5 – 40 dBA, and 36% were very annoyed when levels were above 40 dBA.

4) There is little or no dispute that the “swish, swish, swish” of the blades of a wind turbine as they pass through the air make a noise, which can cause problems for people.

5) There is low-frequency content in the noise from wind farms that can be heard, which could increase the annoyance from the swish sound.

6) Study done by Pedersen and Persson Waye found that once noise levels exceeded the 35 decibel mark, the percentage of people annoyed by wind farm noise rose much more rapidly than with other sounds. This is believed to be due to the combination of the noise, the shadows, and the rotating movement of the blades.

7) There are three ways in which turbines could be affecting people’s health.
a) Stress from the noise – When people become seriously annoyed by any noise, they can become
stressed out and irritated. This can affect their sleeping patterns, their performance at work or school,
and their general social and physical well-being.
b) Combination of noise, flicker and movement of blades – Based on the study done by Pedersen and
Persson Waye, “For some, the intrusion of the noise, shadows and the rotating movements of the
rotor, went further into the most private domain, creating a feeling of violation that was expressed
as anger, uneasiness, and tiredness.”
c) The overall impact on the body - Some people talk of ‘feeling’ the noise, in addition to hearing it.
There are a number of medical people who are beginning to argue that the dramatic impact which
wind farms have on some people’s health cannot be explained by the noise and the flicker alone.
They argue that the low-frequency content of wind turbine noise (even if it is not heard), along with
the ‘flicker’, can destabilize the human body.

8) A major expansion of wind farms could not be justified if it were to result in these known problems being replicated across the country.

Conclusions
1) Wind farm noise affects people in different ways, but the evidence suggests there is rarely a problem for people living more than 1-1.5 miles from a turbine.

2) The noise can be a particular problem in rural areas where background noise levels are low.

3) Low-frequency may be underestimated because of the persistent use of ‘A’ weighting in measuring the noise, rather than taking ‘C’ weighted measurements.

Recommendations
1) It would be prudent that no wind turbines should be sited closer than 1 mile away from the nearest dwellings. This is the distance the Academy of Medicine in Paris is recommending, certainly for the larger turbines and until further studies are carried out. There may even be occasions where a mile is insufficient, depending on the scale and nature of the proposed development.

2) Wind farms should only be located in areas where the ‘swish, swish, swish’ of the turbines will not cause noise problems for people.

3) The government guidelines for the siting of wind turbines needs to be revised to take into account the more intrusive nature of the noise in areas where the overall background noise level is low.

4) The guidelines should require the use of ‘C’ weighting (and ‘G’ weighting for infrasound) as well as ‘A’ weighting when measuring the noise from turbines in order to fully capture the low-frequency element.

5) Further work needs to be undertaken urgently to test the claims that the overall effect of turbines is having a physical effect on people to the detriment of their health.

Concluding Comment
Wind farms can play a role in reducing global warming emissions. But there is a very real danger that, in the enthusiasm to embrace clean technology, legitimate concerns about noise are being brushed aside. There is no doubt that some existing wind farms are causing real noise problems. This report has stopped short of arguing that those turbines should be shut down, though that possibility should never be ruled out. However, it would be quite unacceptable to our fellow citizens for this situation to be replicated in other parts of the country as new turbines come on stream. But this need not be the case. The positive conclusion of this report is that there is a constructive way forward. It simply requires sensible siting of the new wind farms. It’s all about ‘location, location, location’. It is in the interests of the wind power industry, environmental groups and local communities for us to get that right.

[George M.]

Success! Following is a weblinks to download Dr. Soysal's actual paper submitted for publication as part of the proceedings of the Wind Turbine Noise Conference held in France last month -

http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/wp- ... iseeus.pdf

I haven't been able to find Mr. Stewart's paper on the web, but I did find on the web a copy of the report he wrote - "Location, Location, Location" - on which his paper at the recent Conference was based:

http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/wp- ... Report.pdf (however, it's near 4 MB in size!)

[Ice Man]

The best synopsis regarding the pros and cons of industrial wind farms on Pennsylvania's public lands (including municipally-owned property) can be found at http://jvas.org/news_wpd.html

[salaman]

Here is a link to a paper by Dr. Nina Pierpoint on Wind Turbine Syndrome.

http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/wp- ... ndrome.pdf

It should be read by everyone on council.

[My2Cents]

GeorgeM and Ice Man... I just read thru the recent additional sites above that you both contributed to this board. Thank you so very much for that additional info. Ice Man, I hope that folks will continue on into the above site you just submitted ...
( http://jvas.org/news_wpd.html ) and see exactly what all is in peril here. On the home page of that site there is an area on the bottom left where you can actually click on and listen first hand as to how these things sound. Also, in the SOAR section, there is VERY VALUABLE INFORMATION, including photographs of what these monstrosities look like as compared to the landscape.
I hope that this whole subject of "Wind Mills" does not fall upon deaf ears. The proof is laid out, the back-up of the proof is laid out, not only do we have many expert opinions, we also have the opinions from folks with common sense.
I do hope the word gets out to the folks in this community. I am almost certain however, most folks will not respond. Most folks do not even have a clue as to the implication of these monstrosities going up. Most folks will not attend the council meeting/s and ALL of this will be left for our council to decide.
Once again, Thank You both sooooo very much for your input and your help..

[SoccerMom]

Wow, My2Cents, thanks for letting us know about the YouTube video of the wind turbines in action. They both look and sound creepy sitting on top of the ridge. I can't imagine looking up and seeing them all there. That's the thing folks, its not just going to be one or two of these things, eventually there will be 25! The noise from just one was enough for me! Its not at all like a white noise, contstant and at one pitch. Here's a direct link to what we're talking about:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gtu27ZJGS1c& ... %20turbine

Also, don't forget to check out the photo gallery:

http://www.saveouralleghenyridges.com/p ... ery_1.html

[crissy68]

If you get on I99, get off at exit 23, go to the light and turn right, go to the next light and turn right, it'll take you up towards Portage, but those turbines are right there along the road. It would be nice if in theroy these would stop/help with all that's concerned, but I can't see tearing our mountainsides apart. This area of PA is just too beautiful.

[sandstone]

If you get on I99, get off at exit 23, go to the light and turn right, go to the next light and turn right, it'll take you up towards Portage, but those turbines are right there along the road. It would be nice if in theroy these would stop/help with all that's concerned, but I can't see tearing our mountainsides apart. This area of PA is just too beautiful.

Don't worry, be happy. The developers are "eco-friendly!"
By the way, that's diesel fuel spilled in the tire ruts in the foreground.


They clear out only a tiny, teentsie-weentsie area around each turbine.

[banksy]

Why wind anyway? Why not just put in a nuclear plant and actually get all the power you need?

[My2Cents]

Why wind anyway? Why not just put in a nuclear plant and actually get all the power you need?

There ya go Banksy !!! Nuclear IS the best way to go. If I understand it correctly, all they will have to do is add on to the reactors that are already installed in PA. Check out page #11 of this subject.

[Meaux]

Banksy...beautiful!

[garay655]

Well here I go, my first post on TyronePA.com. First right off the bat, no pun intended, I support the windmill farm. I was first exposed to the windfarms in New York. I travel to the Adirondack State Park a couple of times a year as a friend has a camp in Beaver River. Two years ago while traveling through Loweville, NY, I noticed a lot of construction taking place. My buddy who is from that area originally didn't know what was going on either. Loweville, NY is just a few miles form the Adirondacks, which for those of you who don't know is a 6.1 million acre Constitionally-protected forest preserve. The following year when we were going to the camp, we crested the hill just outside of Loweville and WOW, a windmill farm. Not 6 or 10 but about 300. The wind here obviously is pretty much constent as it is close to the St. Lawrence Seaway. I will say that I stopped several times to see if they made noise and I have to admit it wasn't annoying. Of course I live on Washington Avenue. And who up on the mountain is going to here it? Maybe a few hunters.I didn't really think of them as an eye sore, I thought of them as being pretty awesome. I agree with Councilman Latchford that we do need to look for alternative electricity. I don't believe global warming is as bad off as Al Gore would have us believe, but I do think we need to quit buring so much coal, which does produce most of the electricty in this Commonwealth. How much electricty will these windmills produce? Well I guess we could argue that all day, but I beleive the windmills will eventually reduce the dependency on coal and reduce the the amount of toxic gases that are released into the atmosphere by burning that coal, hence the global warming. Gamesa, which has completed a study of the wind on the proposed location, must believe they will generate enough electricity there to be profitable. They are not going to dump a ton of money into this project if wasn't going to be profitable. Yes, the Borough will make money on this project and we should all be greatful for this. Our taxes just went up, which I also supported, but I do not wish for them to go up again. I support any alternative income (other than taxes) as well as alternative energy sources. As far as the environmental impact of this farm, the area around the windmills that I observed was replanted to its original condition except for a few trees and the windmill. I really find it hard to believe that it these windmills had that much of a negative environmental effect, that they would be so close to a Constitutionally-protected forest preserve. As far as the birds, bats and other creatures, I don't know who stood and watched any birds fly into the props on these windmills, but if one did, there was something wrong with it. They do not turn at a fast rotation. I was actually surprised at how slowly they turned. Oh, and I have birds and bats for that matter fly into the side of my house and car and nobody makes me quit driving or tear down my house. That is my weigh in. Thanks for hearing me out.

[sandstone]

I really find it hard to believe that it these windmills had that much of a negative environmental effect, that they would be so close to a Constitutionally-protected forest preserve. As far as the birds, bats and other creatures, I don't know who stood and watched any birds fly into the props on these windmills, but if one did, there was something wrong with it. They do not turn at a fast rotation. I was actually surprised at how slowly they turned. Oh, and I have birds and bats for that matter fly into the side of my house and car and nobody makes me quit driving or tear down my house. That is my weigh in. Thanks for hearing me out.

In contrast to garay's analysis, here's the analysis of the Pennsylvania Biological Survey regarding the ecological impact of industrial windplants:

Wind Power Development on Public Lands —
It Isn’t Worth It
By the Pennsylvania Biological Survey

The Pennsylvania Biological Survey is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to increase the knowledge of and foster the perpetuation of the natural biological diversity of the of Pennsylvania. Our membership includes scientists, representatives of state and federal agencies concerned with natural resource management, and representatives of non-profit conservation organizations.

PABS technical committees serve as official advisory committees to several natural resource agencies in the state, including the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Game Commission, and Fish and Boat Commission.

After reviewing evidence on the environmental costs and benefits of wind energy, PABS is opposed to wind energy development on Pennsylvania natural resource agency lands.

We are aware of the serious environmental costs of fossil fuel energy sources, including the threats of global climate change to Pennsylvania’s natural biological diversity. We therefore support the responsible development of alternative energy sources, including properly sited wind energy development.

However, because wind energy development has associated environmental costs, wind energy development should only be instituted on state lands if the environmental benefits can be demonstrated to exceed the environmental costs.

Based on the available evidence, it is our conclusion that wind energy development is not suitable on state-owned lands where natural resource conservation is a major goal (i.e., primarily lands owned and managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission).

The reason for our opposition is outlined below but can be summarized as follows:

The environmental benefits of wind energy development, in the mid-Atlantic area in general and on Pennsylvania state lands in particular, are small relative to the negative consequences, which include habitat fragmentation and mortality to birds and bats.

The primary environmental benefit of wind energy production is that it offsets the use of fossil fuels, thereby reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas.

The Department of Energy projects that by 2020, wind power will meet 1.2 to 4.5 percent of the country’s electricity generation, and will thus offset emissions of carbon dioxide from electricity generation by 1.2 to 4.5 percent. Since electricity generation accounts for 39 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, wind power will offset between 0.5 and 1.8 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions (National Research Council 2007).

The National Research Council (2007) concludes “Wind energy will contribute proportionately less to electricity generation in the mid-Atlantic region than in the United States as a whole, because a smaller portion of the region has high-quality wind resources than the portion of high-quality wind resources in the United States as a whole.”

Thus, it is apparent that wind energy development in the mid-Atlantic will offset a very minor portion of future carbon dioxide emissions.

Because Commonwealth Natural Resource Agency Lands make up only a fraction of land in Pennsylvania, the contribution of wind energy development on these lands to future energy needs, as well as any offset of carbon dioxide emissions, will be negligible.

Energy conservation, on the other hand, could considerably reduce the demand for energy and thus reduce carbon dioxide emissions. For example, residential home energy consumption in 2020 could be feasibly educed by over 1/3 using existing technologies (Bressand et al. 2007).

The environmental impacts of wind energy are considerable. Mortality to birds and bats has been of particular concern. Bat mortality from wind turbines has been particularly high, especially along forested ridge tops in the eastern United States.

Because bats generally have low reproductive rates, cumulative negative impacts of wind energy development on bat populations are likely (Kunz et al. 2007). Based on projections of installed wind capacity, it is estimated that by 2020 annual mortality in the mid-Atlantic highlands could be as high as 45,000 birds (National Research Council 2007) and 111,000 bats (Kunz et al. 2007).

With wind energy development expanding on private lands in Pennsylvania, the forested ridge tops of state-owned lands will become even more critical for birds, bats, and other species that utilize these habitats.

Another important, and often overlooked, impact of wind development is habitat fragmentation and its associated effects. These effects include reduced habitat area, habitat isolation and loss of species from an area, disruption of dispersal, increased edge effects and loss of core habitat, and facilitation of invasive species (Groom et al. 2006).

Due to their linearity, roads and transmission lines, both of which accompany wind energy development, have particularly pronounced fragmentation effects (Groom et al. 2006, Willyard et al. 2004).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2003) recommends that wind energy development “avoid fragmenting large, contiguous tracts of wildlife habitat” and advises that wind turbines be placed “on lands already altered or cultivated, and away from areas of intact and healthy native habitats.”

Because natural resource agency lands are among the last remaining large blocks of unfragmented land in Pennsylvania, these lands are particularly in need of protection. A publication produced by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Moyer 2003) emphasizes the importance of preserving these last remaining large blocks of unfragmented habitat in the state.

In conclusion, the environmental benefits wind energy development on natural resource agency lands in Pennsylvania are negligible compared with the environmental consequences. These lands should remain closed to wind energy development.

For more information on the position of the Pennsylvania Biological Survey, contact Dr. Tim Maret, Department of Biology, Shippensburg University, by calling 717-477-1170 or sending email to: tjmare@ship.edu .

[salaman]

garay 655,

You need to do more research on the subject. This forum would be a good place to start, there are plenty of facts referenced by intelligent posters. Plenty of people living in Snyder Township will hear them 24/7. By the way, we are not talking about Sparrows or Robins, When was the last time a Golden Eagle or flock of Canada Geese slammed into your house? I understand that you are probably not an engineer, but the next time that you look at a turbine, note the distance covered by the tip of the blade in just one second. It can be moving as fast 200mph.

[salaman]

Here is a link to the bat mortality study at Backbone Mountain WV.

http://download.httpproxy.fw-notify.net ... s_Bats.pdf

Take note of the destruction of the mountaintop.