State archaeologists generally recommend specific guidelines for archaeological surveys, depending on the site involved. However, it should be noted that subjective variables (e.g., attitudes and expectations) are strongly linked to annoyance and have the potential to facilitate other health complaints via the nocebo effect. As with any machine involving moving parts, wind turbines generate noise during operation. 6. Available from: http://www.gwec.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/GWEC-PRstats-2013_EN.pdf. Wind power is considered renewable energy because it continues to exist there is no end to wind. Photomontages or simulations provide critical project information for analysis. elements, relocation of recreational activities (such as a trail), and enhancement of existing recreational activities. The deaths of birds and bats by collision with wind turbines is much less than those produced by other human-led activities such as roads, railways, buildings or domestic cats, as well as those caused by the air pollution wind power helps to avoid. Wind turbines do not release emissions that can pollute the air or water (with rare exceptions), and they do not require water for cooling. What led Ambrose et al. Each participant was asked to view all of the scenarios using a 3D visor and asked to respond to a number of questions pertaining to perceived loudness, sound pleasantness, noise annoyance, sound stress, sound tranquility, and visual pleasantness. The study found no major pre-post differences, and it also found no major differences when property-value changes in the 5-mile areas around the wind-energy projects were compared with selected “comparable communities.”. (28), and Barnard (29): the stated purpose of the investigations conducted by Nissenbaum et al. This conclusion was similar to that provided in the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) expert panel review released in January 2012. To a large extent, the. Forecasts of property values in prospective host areas that are based on comparisons with existing host areas are of questionable validity, especially if there are significant differences between the areas. Noise Health (2011) 13:459–63. However, this paper was hypothetical and speculative in nature and no data were presented to support the author’s opinions. Includes hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and ethanol. What land rights am I giving up? Public Health, 19 June 2014 Infrasound can cause avoidance reactions (fleeing) in salmons. Møller and Pedersen (37): Møller and Pedersen conducted a LFN study from four large turbines (>2 MW) and 44 other small and large turbines that were aggregated (7 > 2 and 37 < 2 MW). Offshore wind energy is a renewable technology capable of supplying significant energy in a sustainable way. As reviewed by Knopper and Ollson (9), Harding et al. Barnard M. Letter to editor: issues of wind turbine noise. Update of UK Shadow Flicker Evidence Base: Final Report. Fixed radio links, also known as point-to-point links, are by definition a focused radio transmission directed at a specific receiver. In comparison, it had previously been established that approximately 8% of adult Canadians reported being either “very or extremely bothered, disturbed, or annoyed” by noise in general when they were at home and 6.7% of adult Canadians indicated they were either “very or extremely annoyed” by traffic noise specifically (54). Of greatest interest at the local level, however, are not these totals but rather the jobs that become available to local or regional workers because of a wind-energy project in their vicinity. Models such as JEDI can improve understanding of the economic impacts of new energy facilities, especially when those impacts are considered at the macro level. BMJ (2014) 348:g2351. In the United States, shadow flicker has not been identified as even a mild annoyance. The 2014 paper is very similar to that published in 2013. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.03.005, 17. According to the AWEA,“Wind Energy and Economic Development: Building Sustainable Jobs and Communities” (AWEA 2006f): Alameda County, in California, collected $725,000 in property taxes in 1998 from wind-turbine installations valued at $66 million. A 2003 Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) study of the effect of wind development on property values found no statistical effects of changes in property values over time from wind-energy projects (Sterzinger et al. Tools are available for understanding project visibility and appearance as well as the landscape characteristics that contribute to scenic quality. They concluded that the dominant source of wind turbine generated LFN was from incoming turbulence interacting with the blades. Stemming from this review, we provide weight of evidence conclusions and a number of best practices for wind turbine development in the context of human health. These results highlighted the role that perception plays in the human health wind turbine debate and underscored the role of proper risk communication in communities. Nissenbaum et al. The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. Noise (sound-pressure) levels from an onshore wind project are typically in the 35-45 dB(A) range at a distance of about 300 meters (BWEA 2000; Burton et al. . J Acoust Soc Am (1999) 105:3336–44. The methodological heterogeneity in study designs across the selected health-based investigations inhibited a quantitative combination of results. Finally, the section briefly examines the potential for developing guidelines to protect scenic resources when planning for, siting, and evaluating prospective wind-energy projects. Both authors investigated the relationship between photo-induced seizures (i.e., photosensitive epilepsy) and wind turbine blade flicker (also known as shadow flicker). Sensitivity Level 3 areas (least sensitive areas) include travelways constructed primarily for non-recreation purposes such as timber access roads and utility line clearings, and areas where uses primarily depend little on scenic viewing (e.g., hunting or gathering fuel wood, Christmas trees, or berries). Finally, a lack of regulatory guidance and stakeholder participation can contribute to fears of cumulative impacts if numerous projects are within a single viewshed. Noise can be monitored by various measurement techniques. The SHPO typically requires a Class II survey to determine the existence of unknown resources in areas where such surveys are lacking. They typically rely on the use of a parabolic reflector antenna (like satellite dishes) to transmit a direct narrow beam of radio waves to a receiving antenna. Health effects and wind turbines: a review of the literature. Learn more about proper wind turbine siting and how it minimizes the impacts on local avian species. p. 1–11. Lists of potential mitigation measures are also readily available. No date restrictions were entered and literature was assessed up to the submission date of this manuscript (April 2014). 67. One purpose of wind turbines is to provide pollution-free electric power at a reasonable price in an environmentally sound way. If a turbine is close to a highway, the movement of the large rotor blades and possible resulting flicker can distract drivers. Can road traffic mask the sound from wind turbines? Bull Sci Technol Soc (2011) 31:303–15. (26) reported that only 3% of survey respondents receiving economic benefit from wind turbines reported being “rather annoyed” or “very annoyed” by wind turbine noise when outdoors, while none reported being rather or very annoyed by wind turbine noise when indoors. The near horizontal ‘curve fits’ and large amount of ‘data scatter’ are indications of the weak relationship between sleep quality and turbine distance. 93. Unfortunately, few regulatory review processes adequately address aesthetic issues, and far fewer address the unique aesthetic issues associated with wind-energy projects in a rational manner. It was suggested that reported historical and geographical variations in complaints were consistent with “communicated diseases” with nocebo effects likely to play an important role in the etiology of complaints rather than direct effects from turbines. Pioneering projects in new areas face economic considerations different from those of incremental projects in mature wind-resource areas. Generally simple and uniform arrays or groupings of wind turbines are more visually appealing than mixed types and sizes. Even in close proximity to turbines, the infrasonic sound pressure level was below the normal hearing threshold. The authors used a combination of audible and LFN models and functions derived by Janssen et al. While wind-energy development is relatively new in the United States, the potential for cumulative aesthetic impacts resulting either from several new projects in a particular region or from expansion of existing projects is likely to become an issue that may need to be addressed at local, regional, and state levels. Table 1. Both the noise and the shadow flicker can be aesthetically troubling for some people who live nearby. doi:10.1097/HP.0b013e3181f06c86. Both the potential positive and negative (i.e., displacement) economic impacts of wind-energy development should be considered. Shadow flicker is not explicitly regulated. 64. Wind energy is an inexhaustible resource that generates no pollution or toxic waste, does not deplete fresh water resources, and requires no mining, transportation, or refining of a . With a little careful planning and the use of available software, the potential for shadow flicker can be assessed at any site, and appropriate strategies can be adopted to minimize the time when it might be an annoyance to residents nearby. This claim is supported (and made) by findings from a number of government health and medical agencies and legal decisions [e.g., (56, 77–80)]. How much of world energy consumption and production is from renewable energy. (17) and Bakker et al. The authors noted that “it would be desirable in future studies to expand the variables incorporated into the analysis and to refine the view shed in order to look at the relationship between property values and the precise distance from development” (Sterzinger et al. Evaluating the aesthetic impacts of wind-energy projects needs to focus on the relationship of the proposed project to the scenic landscape features of the site and its surrounding context. Tools to customize searches, view specific data sets, study detailed documentation, and access time-series data. However, some toxic materials and chemicals are used to make the . The studies done about the ill effects of wind turbines on wildlife have for the most part been scattered, and conducted mostly by the people who promote wind energy. In particular, the data showed that increased distance resulted in a more positive general evaluation of the scenario and decreased perceived loudness, noise annoyance, and stress caused by sound. (Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, 80). Most wind-energy projects are proposed on private land where there is far less guidance, especially with respect to evaluating aesthetic impacts. In 1996, the global cumulative installed wind power capacity was 6,100 MW; in 2011, that value had grown to 238,126 MW and at the end of 2013 it was 318,137 MW (1). Mroczek B, Kurpas D, Karakiewicz B. Some projects extend over fairly extensive land areas, though only small portions of the area are occupied by the turbines themselves. This study used a hedonic regression analysis method and found no measurable effects on property values, positive or negative, even on residences within a mile of the facility. A survey was mailed out to 1,270 households within 500 m of eight 0.6 kW turbine installations and within 1 km of four 5 kW turbines in two cities in the U.K. Low-frequency vibration and its effects on humans are not well understood. Efforts to reduce potential noise impacts on nearby residents therefore may be most important within that distance. The USFS ranks recreational facilities as shown in Table 4-1. The National Wind Coordinating Committee (NWCC) recently considered "peer-reviewed research" that showed evidence of collisions with wind turbines among birds and bats. As reported by Pedersen et al. Farboud et al. Energy & Financial Markets: What Drives Crude Oil Prices? . Impact of wind turbine sound on annoyance, self-reported sleep disturbance and psychological distress. Comprehensive data summaries, comparisons, analysis, and projections integrated across all energy sources. Canberra, ACT: National Health and Medical Research Council (2014). In total, three factors were manipulated in the experiment: distance from the wind farm (150, 250, and 500 m); the number of wind turbines (1, 3, and 6); the color of the base of the turbine and any stripes on the blades (white, red, brown, green). At all locations, in addition to direct employment impacts, employment may be indirectly fostered through secondary economic effects, including indirect impacts (e.g., changes in inter-industry purchasing patterns) and induced impacts (e.g., changes in household spending patterns). A typical result might indicate, for example, that a house 300 meters from a 600 kW wind turbine with a rotor diameter of 40 meters will be exposed to moving shadows for approximately 17-18 hours annually, out of a total of 8,760 hours in a year (Andersen 1999). The secondary effects of wind-energy projects on the economy (both positive and negative) are much harder to estimate. 101. Bolin K, Bluhm G, Eriksson G, Nilsson ME. of actual measurements of EMF surrounding wind turbines were contrary to the hypothesis presented by Havas and Colling (42). None of these sources appeared to influence magnetic field levels at nearby homes located as close as just over 500 m from turbines, where measurements immediately outside of the homes were ≤0.4 mG. However, although distance to the nearest noise source could explain a large proportion (86%) of the total variance in predicted sound pressure levels, other sources of variation are also important; predicted sound pressure levels at a set distance varied by approximately 5–10 dB(A) and the distance at which a set sound pressure level was met varied by approximately 1000 m. These variations reflect differences in the noise model inputs such as the physical design and noise emission ratings of the turbines (and transformer substations, if present) used in different projects and the total number of turbines (and transformer substations, if present) in the vicinity of the receptor location. The technologies are changing, and it is important that simulations are accurately constructed (Stanton 2005). The reported correlation between wind turbine noise and annoyance is not unexpected as noise-related annoyance [described by Berglund and Lindvall (81) as a “feeling of displeasure evoked by a noise”] has been extensively linked to a variety of common noise sources such as rail, road, and air traffic (81–83). Annoyance and other reaction measures to changes in noise exposure – a review. In the first stage, where participants were unaware of the true purpose of the experiment, samples were played during a quiet leisure activity. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). Van Renterghem et al. When a maximum number of hours of allowed shadow flicker per year is imposed for a neighbor’s property (such as 30 hours/year for one wind-energy project in Germany), this number refers to those hours when the property is actually used by the people there and when they are awake. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2010.01.001, 19. When people are given negative expectations . 2. The authors discussed the use of A-weighting in noise measurements from wind turbines stating: “The A-filter de-emphasizes all auditory energy with frequencies of less than 500 Hz, and completely ignores all auditory energy of less than 20 Hz, in an effort to estimate the noise thought to be actually processed by the ear. When asked about the effect of wind turbines on the "environment" (without ascribing a particular meaning to the term such as wildlife, health or climate) 80% similarly reported a positive effect. Negative attitudes and worries of individuals about perceived environmental risks have been shown to be associated with adverse health-related symptoms such as headache, nausea, dizziness, agitation, and depression, even in the absence of an identifiable cause (94–96). In 2012, a similar article appeared in BSTS, but with Ambrose as first author. It includes a case study of the mid-Atlantic highlands, a mountainous area that spans parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. This book will inform policy makers at the federal, state, and local levels. Møller H, Pedersen CS. white paper and the BSTS articles, which diminished the strength of their conclusions. Renewable energy. EMI is electromagnetic (EM) disturbance that interrupts, obstructs, or otherwise degrades or limits the effective performance of electronics or electrical equipment. The project is located on a landform that is an important focal point that is highly visible throughout the region. Wind power is expanding in Sweden, as well as in Europe and in other parts of the world.In Sweden, the goal is to reach 50 % renewable energy by 2020. Maffei et al. Wind Energy Handbook SECOND EDITION The authoritative reference on wind energy, now fully revised and updated to include offshore wind turbines and offshore wind farm development A decade on from its first release, the Wind Energy Handbook, ... However, the majority of this information is based on purely anecdotal evidence.” The authors briefly discussed the various symptoms that have been self-reported by individuals and attributed to noise from wind turbines. The evaluation should consider relative impacts on the economy at a level appropriate to the scope of the study. Environmentalist (2011) 31:161–8. According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA 2006f), leasing arrangements can vary greatly, but a reasonable estimate for a lease payment to a landowner from a single utility-scale turbine is currently about $3,000 per year. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.03.095, 35. Turbine noise usually is most critical within a half-mile of a project. A total of 54 participants (34 women, 20 men) were randomized into high- or low-expectancy groups and presented with audiovisual information (including internet material) designed to invoke either high or low expectations that exposure to infrasound causes specific symptoms (e.g., headache, ear pressure, itchy skin, sinus pressure, dizziness, vibrations within the body). Decommissioning wind-energy projects appropriately would be considered in initial permit approvals. In particular, the letter from Barnard (29) criticized the statistical analysis in Nissenbaum et al. This was the first study to show that a placebo response could be brought on by positive pre-exposure expectations and influence participants exposed to wind farm noise. The authors noted that there may have been confounding factors that contributed to the observed results (e.g., economic factors). If sound emissions from wind projects is in the 40–45 dB(A) range for non-participating receptors, we suggest community consultation and community support. Further, studies where biological effects observed following infrasound exposure were conducted at sound pressure levels much greater than measured by Ambrose et al. The authors also highlighted the role of health risk perception (which seemed linked to political lobbying) as a variable leading to the lack of support. This may be indicative of another cause such as low- or very-low-frequency energy being involved.”. While a uniform offer may be made to landowners, contract prices may be negotiated individually and privately. Baxter J, Morzaria R, Hirsch R. A case-control study of support/opposition to wind turbines: perceptions of health risk, economic benefit, and community conflict. They found that people, animals, traffic, and mechanical sounds were more often identified as a source of sleep disturbance than wind turbines. They also opined that LFN from modern wind turbines could be audible at typical levels in residential settings, but did not exceed levels from other common noise sources, such as road traffic noise. The sound power level from a single turbine is usually around 90-105 dB(A); such a turbine creates a sound pressure of 50-60 dB(A) at a distance of 40 meters (this is about the same level as conversational speech). Night Noise Guidelines for Europe. Tonal noise typically is a “hum” or “pitch” occurring at distinct frequencies. If the agreement is terminated either voluntarily or involuntarily, what happens to the wind-energy structures and related facilities on my land? For example, we have not addressed potentially significant social impacts on community cohesion, sometimes exacerbated by differences in community make-up (e.g., differences in values and in amounts and sources of wealth between newcomers and long-time residents). Roberts JD, Roberts MA. A recent and currently unresolved case in Vermont concerned a historic Civilian Conservation Corps bath-house that was documented as having been sited to take advantage of scenic views down a lake where a proposed wind-energy facility would be visible. doi:10.1177/0270467611415075, 56. Given that other studies have indicated that annoyance was more closely related to visual cues and attitude, this could provide further explanation of why overall HRQOL scores were lower in the Turbine group. There are many great benefits that come along with wind power. Should the impact prove sufficient to degrade the ability of the radar to unambiguously detect objects of interest by primary radar alone this will negatively influence the ability of U.S. military forces to defend the nation.” It concludes further that “[t]he Department has initiated research and development efforts to develop additional mitigation approaches that in the future could enable wind turbines to be within radar line of sight of air defense radars without impacting their performance.”. Monthly and yearly energy forecasts, analysis of energy topics, financial analysis, congressional reports. (7) concluded: “Healthy volunteers, when given information about the expected physiological effect of infrasound, reported symptoms that aligned with that information, during exposure to both infrasound and sham infrasound. The topics covered in this chapter are, however, the chief local environmental impacts that have been recognized to date. A high sensitivity level does not necessarily mean that a wind-energy facility should not be visible, but instead is an indication that further study is needed. 69. Reliance on this form of energy is increasing. Debate is ongoing with respect to the relationship between reported health effects and wind turbines, specifically in terms of audible and inaudible noise. Salem, OR: Office of Environmental Public Health, Public Health Division (2013). There was however, no relationship between calculated actual noise from the turbine and participants attitude to wind turbines. Noise produced by wind turbines generally is not a major concern for humans beyond a half-mile or so because various measures to reduce noise have been implemented in the design of modern turbines. Annoyance may be associated with some self-reported health effects (e.g., sleep disturbance) especially at sound pressure levels >40 dB(A). Referencing a study by Salt and Hullar (20), the authors noted that the inner hair cells of the cochlea, which is the main hearing pathway in mammals, are not sensitive to infrasound. (23), it is possible that the observed effects were driven by other causes such as conflicts between the community and the wind farm developers rather than a direct result of noise exposure. Bull Sci Technol Soc (2011) 31:291–5. One in 254 residents across Australia appeared to have ever complained about health and noise, and 73% of these residents live near 6 wind farms that have been targeted by anti-wind farm groups. The USFS and the BLM assessment methods have been used and adapted by numerous state and local agencies either for planning purposes (e.g., identifying scenic landscapes) or for assessing the impacts of proposed projects such as highways, ski areas, power plants, and forest harvesting (MADEM 1982; Smardon et al. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe (2009). Do you enjoy reading reports from the Academies online for free? (35): in 2010, Baxter and colleagues conducted a study to investigate the role of health risk perception, economic benefit, and community conflict on wind turbine policy. They should also illustrate “worst-case” conditions to the greatest extent possible (clear weather and leaf-off conditions). 2 Noise regulations can be a considerable barrier to IWT development, as they can have a substantial effect on wind turbine spacing, and therefore the cost of wind-generated electricity.
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