Nothing to hear here - UK wind turbine study

[Aurora]

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1 ... 826C552481

www.iol.co.za - 08/07/07

London - Most British wind turbines do not make much noise as they spin around making electricity and people who complain about them should not be losing sleep, according to a study published on Wednesday.

Some people living near wind farms complain they are kept awake by a phenomenon known as aerodynamic modulation (AM), low frequency noise made as the blades swoosh through the night air.

A government-commissioned study by Salford University found the phenomenon - sometimes described as sounding like a distant train - could affect four of the country's 133 wind farms.

This, the government says, is no justification for stemming the growth of the technology Britain is betting on to cut its carbon emissions.

"Where there are legitimate problems we will address them," Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks said in a statement. "But it is essential that we produce more wind power if we are to meet our climate change and security of supply aims."

The government said it did not plan any further research into the issue after the Salford study supported another government commissioned probe in 2006 that concluded AM was "the exception rather than a general problem" with wind farms.

Faced with environmental limits on hydropower and little sun to power solar panels, blustery Britain wants to make the most of the only potential energy source it has in abundance - wind.

The government needs lots of big ones to be built, especially offshore, where winds are stronger and human objectors far away, to meet its own target of getting 20 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020.

Electricity from renewable sources in the UK was just 4,6 percent of total generation last year.

[biffvernon]

Faced with environmental limits on hydropower and little sun to power solar panels, blustery Britain wants to make the most of the only potential energy source it has in abundance - wind.

So our seas, always flat as the proverbial millpond, are non-tidal? Hmmm.

[energy-village]

The UK has more to offer than wind.

As the price of oil rockets and the bill for the London Olympics rapidly approaches the estimate for the Severn Barrage (?15 billion) the tidal power project seems more and more like a sane investment (OK, in reality it will end up costing far more).

And that is to generate 5% of the country's electricity rather than a 2-week party and a lot of PO white elephants.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7202413.stm

[Cycloloco]

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1 ... 826C552481

www.iol.co.za - 08/07/07

London - Most British wind turbines do not make much noise as they spin around making electricity and people who complain about them should not be losing sleep, according to a study published on Wednesday.

Some people living near wind farms complain they are kept awake by a phenomenon known as aerodynamic modulation (AM), low frequency noise made as the blades swoosh through the night air.

A government-commissioned study by Salford University found the phenomenon - sometimes described as sounding like a distant train - could affect four of the country's 133 wind farms.

This, the government says, is no justification for stemming the growth of the technology Britain is betting on to cut its carbon emissions.
.......[cut]

Evidence building up of problems and selecting evidence to suit the supporters. See:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/e ... 954565.ece

[2 As and a B]

Faced with environmental limits on hydropower and little sun to power solar panels, blustery Britain wants to make the most of the only potential energy source it has in abundance - wind.

That is very uninformed! The UK has loads of potential sea power - tides and waves.

[emordnilap]

Evidence building up of problems and selecting evidence to suit the supporters. See:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/e ... 954565.ece

It is my contention that vehicles should not be used between 11 pm and 6 am because the noise they make disturbs those trying to sleep.

[kenneal - lagger]

Noise is very subjective.

My parents moved from north London to a small village just outside Basingstoke and a house backing onto the A33/M3. It was noisy during the day but really quiet at night. My Mum couldn't stand the noise during the day; my Dad was at work so couldn't see what the problem was. They moved back to London to a flat facing over Uxbridge Road which is a main east/west route across north London. That has 24 hour traffic but my Mum didn't mind that. We went up to stay one Christmas from our house in the country, a mile away from the nearest main road, and we couldn't sleep a wink.

My Mum didn't like the isolation of living out in the country so the noise became a problem. Living in the town she was happy so just blanked out the continuous noise.

We moved from our quiet house well away from a main road to our current house about 200yds/metres away from the A339. It is a lot noisier but we have a reason for living here, roadside custom for the farm produce, so we have got used to the noise. the new cob built house does keep most of the noise out, though.

As I said, noise is subjective. If you are unhappy about something you will dwell on it, making the noise worse in your mind. If you own the wind turbines and are getting power and an income from them, each swish is a happy reminder of your good fortune.

[RenewableCandy]

Evidence building up of problems and selecting evidence to suit the supporters. See:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/e ... 954565.ece

It is my contention that vehicles should not be used between 11 pm and 6 am because the noise they make disturbs those trying to sleep.

Quite. We have a ring-road and it produces perfectly good infrasound all night without the need for any wind turbines thank you.

We also have the sound of distant trains (we are after all Railway City!) which I like, it reminds me of my grandparents' house.

[biffvernon]

Noise is very subjective.

Yes indeed, but when a windfarm produces less noise than the wind blowing in the grass...you just can't hear it.

[fifthcolumn]

Noise is very subjective.

Yes indeed, but when a windfarm produces less noise than the wind blowing in the grass...you just can't hear it.

Even if wind made a lot of noise I'd still prefer wind power over any other solution for Britain, quite simply because it works.

[kenneal - lagger]

Even if wind made a lot of noise I'd still prefer wind power over any other solution for Britain, quite simply because it works.

The problem is that most objectors don't know that there is a problem that needs a wind powered solution. And worse, they don't want to know that there is a problem.

They are also sure, because the antis have told them, that wind needs a continuous spinning reserve of fossil powered plant for when the wind drops.

[RenewableCandy]

Someone's proposing a "corridor" of National Park to lnk the Lakes NP and the Dales NP. This is bad news here because the fells are windy and (mostly) not peat, so perfect for wind farms.