Our staff at Irwin Carr have an enviable track record for providing robust wind turbine noise assessments for a range of wind energy projects, from single wind turbines to some of the largest wind farms on the Island of Ireland, as well as across Great Britain.

Wind farm developments are usually assessed in line with ETSU-R-97 The Assessment of Noise from Wind Farms/Wind Energy Development Guidelines (depending on the jurisdiction) and the Institute of Acoustic’s Good Practice Guide to the Application of ETSU-R-97 for the Assessment and Rating of Wind Turbine Noise. We have contributed to over 500 MW of consented renewable energy generation from wind turbines and have undertaken noise assessments for well over 100 wind energy developments.

As the number of wind energy developments increase, the area available for new development inevitably decreases. This means that complex cumulative noise assessments are now often required to demonstrate that new developments can operate within the regulatory framework. In addition, wind energy developments are often subject to a high level of scrutiny from Local Authorities, Government and stakeholders. We provide clear, robust technical advice and reports which are readily defensible throughout the planning process.

As well as providing noise assessments for new wind farm developments, we have resolved many different noise related issues, including the repowering of existing wind farms, discharge of planning conditions, investigation of noise complaints, amplitude modulation assessments and determination of wind turbine sound power levels in accordance with BS EN 61400-11.

We offer the following wind turbine noise assessment services:

• Noise feasibility and constraint mapping
• Consultation with Local Authorities and stakeholders
• Input into wind farm scoping reports
• Background noise and wind speed monitoring in accordance with ETSU-R-97/WEDG and the Institute of Acoustic’s Good Practice Guide
• Wind turbine noise modelling and production of noise contour plots using Graphical Information System (GIS) software
• Investigation and assessment of noise from cumulative wind turbine developments
• Design input in terms of the number, layout and type of turbines proposed
• Investigation of mitigation measures, including the use of reduced power operating modes for certain turbines under specific wind speeds and directions
• Production of robust Noise Impact Assessment reports and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Chapters
• Drafting and negotiation of noise-related planning conditions
• Operational noise monitoring including assessment of amplitude modulation
• Expert Witness services
• Wind turbine noise complaint investigation

Our staff are both professional members of the Institute of Acoustics and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, which also sit on the IOA Renewables Working Group, helping to develop the update to the IOA Good Practice Guide.