November 11, 2010
Australia has some of the toughest, most up-to-date guidelines controlling wind farm noise in the world. There is no evidence that residents will suffer any direct health effects from living near operating wind farms, according to an independent report released by the Clean Energy Council yesterday.The 51-page study was commissioned by the Clean Energy Council, the peak body for more than 400 companies with renewable energy interests. The Clean Energy Council's Chief Executive Mr Matthew Warren said the Wind Farms Technical Paper on Environmental Noise by acoustic consultancy Sonus reinforced existing independent research.
"Although wind farms have been generating clean energy safely for many years in Europe, we conducted this study to see how the Australian guidelines stack up. The results are very reassuring for communities in regional Australia, who will directly benefit from the investment in wind power", Mr Warren said.
Wind farms currently provide enough clean energy to power nearly 800,000 Australian homes (1841MWs). The report says their advantages need to be balanced with the needs of communities in their vicinity. The report was prepared to provide the latest information to communities, developers, planning and enforcement authorities and other stakeholders on environmental noise from wind farms.
The report concludes there is extensive evidence that the noise from wind farms developed and operated in accordance with the current standards and guidelines will not have any direct adverse health effects. It summarises research conducted into issues including, health impact and annoyance, infrasound and low frequency noise, amplitude modulation and sleep disturbance.
It notes: "All noise from any source including wind farms, which is audible, will result in complaints from some people. Recent research indicates the potential for complaints, annoyance and its associated stress and health impacts may be exacerbated by rhetoric, fears and negative publicity".
The report finds once wind farms are built the rates of complaints are very low in Australia and New Zealand and if a noise can be heard, then annoyance can result for some people, regardless of the noise level or the standard or guideline that applies. It also discusses the "nocebo" effect - a worsening of mental or physical health based on fear or belief in adverse affects. This is the opposite of the well-known placebo effect, where belief in positive effects or an intervention may produce positive results.
Footnote: Sonus is an independent Australian consultancy, specialising in the monitoring, prediction, data analysis, policy development and assessment of environmental noise from factories, road, rail, aircraft, commercial and industrial sources and has extensive experience specifically related to wind farms.
Click here to download the report.
For more information, contact the Clean Energy Council's Media Advisor Mark Bretherton or on 0413 556 981 or 03 9929 4111 or Communications Director Rosanne Michie on 0411 868 535.
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