To the editor:
Hold on there, Mr. Bates (Public Forum, Oct. 28). You have some misconceptions about wind turbines. I can't argue with your dislike of the appearance of the wind machines, because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To me the turbines are beautiful, graceful and a testament to human creativity.
But you're dead wrong about the rest of your objections. I recently stood beside an operating turbine, one of 64 sited on a wind farm near Spearville, Kan. The only noise was a very soft whoosh. My companions and I conversed in normal voice tones.
Although each turbine must sit in the center of eight acres, it actually occupies only a small portion of that space. The remainder of each eight-acre area is planted to farm crops, soybeans in the case of the field where I stood. Not only is the farmer able to continue raising crops on most of his acres, he collects $5,000 a year for every turbine on his land. This dual use of farmland brings additional money into the local economy. Moreover, the wind farm does not use any water, unlike a coal-fired plant. The wind farm also employs a five-person maintenance crew, all of whom live in the community.
Shirley Domer,
Lawrence
Comments
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merrill (anonymous) says…
http://www.laborradio.org/files/lo/wi...
merrill (anonymous) says…
A picture:
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/re...
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
Some important information is missing from the story you link, max1 (and missing from the version in the JDub.) How close are these turbines to Porter's house and property? They would have to be very close if he can hear them and be in their shadows-- closer than is typically allowed.
DougCounty (anonymous) says…
Might there be a difference between windmill manufacturers as to how much noise they make? I know there's a huge difference between car manufacturers, motocycles, and chainsaws. Why would windmills be any different? Size and height might be important factors, too. We need to know if it's apples or oranges, here.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
" I know there's a huge difference between car manufacturers, motocycles, and chainsaws. Why would windmills be any different?"
It would seem that the noise would come from two sources in wind turbines-- one from the friction and turbulence of the blades moving through the air, but that would need to be minimized as much as possible, since the more friction and turbulence there is, the less wind energy is transferred by the rotation of the blades. I would think that the aerodynamics involved there would be well understood by all the major manufacturers. The other source would be from the generating turbine, and that would seem to be the biggest source of variation in noise levels between manufacturers. But those are just guesses on my part.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"The noise level is 47 decibels at 800' downwind."
This is much closer than they are normally sited to any housing, and the decibel level drops considerably as distance increases.
joe_cool (anonymous) says…
I call BS on the noise levels. A normal room averages around 55dB (just ambient noise, no voices). A room with people talking a normal levels would be around 70dB. Even a really quiet room would have a hard time getting down to 45dB without acoustic treatment.
So for someone to say that Wind Turbine only has a reading of 47dB and you can hear it is plain BS. Just being outside with normal environmental noise would be pushing 80dB. Fat chance that you would hear something down in the 47dB range. Maybe on an unbelievabley non-windy day, but then I guess the turbine would not be moving.
Max1: I'm not sure who created those websites you reference but they are very misleading if not plain false.
It takes an increase or decrease of 6dB to double or halve the perceived sound level.
I know this since I am an Acoustic Engineer.