Evaluation of low Frequency Noise generated by Wind Farms with Large Turbines on Buildings

Energy scenarios increasingly envisage the production of energy from renewable sources. Among the plants for the production of energy from renewable sources, wind power plants are currently among the most valid from an environmental point of view. Recent European standards, have been defining a path to reach in 2050 a level of decarbonization lower of 80% compared to 1990. Wind farms have been growing quickly for last decade with individual wind turbines getting larger and larger. Among the various impacts generated by a wind farm, assessed in the design and operation phase, noise plays an important role for the construction purposes. The noise generated by wind turbines has a broad-spectrum character but the low frequency noise causes specific problems even at a great distance from the sources. It is a fact that in different European countries special laws have been adopted to impose noise limits and evaluation methods for the assessment of environmental low frequency noise from this kind of sound sources. Other countries are still lacking specific rules, but such analysis is required by environmental control agencies in the authorization procedure. The purpose of this study consists of comparing the assessment procedures currently used in different European countries for the prediction of low frequency noise from wind turbines and its propagation. The comparison of the different procedures is part of the assessment the noise impact at low frequency applied to a case study for the realization a new wind farm.