The reason why wind turbines make loud noises

How loud is a wind turbine?

Yet, the loudness of a turbine is still up for debate. Standing under a wind turbine will expose you to sound levels around 100 decibels, but the noise levels quickly drop as you move away from the turbine. At a distance of a few hundred meters, the noise from the turbine is no louder than the ambient noise level.

Do wind turbines cause noise pollution?

Wind advocates say that any noise pollution stemming from wind turbines is a minor issue compared to the long-term environmental damage caused by burning fossil fuels, especially considering that daily life is full of all sorts of loud noises. The noise of a wind turbine is a function of its distance and the surrounding environment.

Why is wind turbine noise so loud?

Aerodynamic noise, often described as a “swishing” sound, is a factor of types of blades and speed of rotation. Wind turbine noise in decibels, however, has been found to be no louder than that experienced by traveling in a moving car and is often comparable to nighttime rural background noise.

Why do wind turbines make a swishing sound?

The audible whooshing or swishing sound created as the wind passes over the rotating blades is often described as infrasound or low frequency sound, but it is in fact broadband sound. Concern about low frequency noise from wind farms stems from early wind turbine designs, where the blades were down wind of (or behind) the turbine tower.