Esther Blumendeller

Although sustainable and decentralised energy supply is of great importance for our society, residents living near wind farms complain before or after the construction of the wind turbines (WT). The most frequently cited argument is the noise emitted by the WT.

As part of the Inter-Wind project, I am investigating the acoustics of WT, particularly low-frequency sound (20-200 Hz) and infrasound (1-20 Hz). This is very long-wave sound waves that propagates over long distances with only slight atmospheric attenuation. A special feature is also the complex terrain in which the wind farm of the studies is located. In valley locations, wind noise may be absent for geographical reasons - but the sounds of the WT can still be heard. It must therefore be clarified what influence environmental and WT operating conditions have on low-frequency WT sound, on its propagation and acoustic character, and under what conditions low-frequency sound is generated at residential buildings and is perceived as disturbing.