Wind Turbine Syndrome – The Newest Objection

Never underestimate our ability to raise objections to change, be it technology or societal driven. Wind power, which currently accounts for 1 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S., has traditionally wrestled with four issues in achieving its ambition of representing 20 percent of the energy produced in the U.S. annually. These objections view wind power as:

• Hazardous to birds and bats,
• Disruptive to aesthetics of landscapes,
• Costly, and
• Inconsistent or intermittent due to inherent fluctuations of wind

One might have varying views of the relative importance of these objections, but by and large, they are based on fact. The latest objection, with mounting evidence to support it, should still be viewed as a hypothesis. It posits that wind power endangers the health of people who live near the wind turbines. Referred to as wind turbine syndrome, proponents of this view cite the impact of the sound, vibration, and disruptions in pressure caused by rapid spinning of the wind turbine blade tips

Wind Turbine Syndrome – A Brief Tutorial

There are two sound-related variables that could be factors in this discussion:

• Infrasound– Attributed to fluctuations in air pressure that vibrate the eardrum, infra sound operates at frequencies low enough that they cannot be detected by the human ear. These “sounds” carry through the atmosphere for thousands of miles and according to studies conducted by the Infra sound Laboratory of the University of Hawaii are believed to cause certain breathing and digestive problems.
• Audible Sounds – Obviously caused by the whirring of the wind turbine at high speeds, at the very least, proponents of this thinking cite difficulty in sleeping as a potential contributor to poor health.

The effects of infra sound are what form the basis for wind turbine syndrome, as audible sounds related to wind turbines and their effects are no different than those attributed to diesel engines, waves crashing on the seashore of beachfront property, or vehicles on busy highways adjacent to homes. There is mounting evidence that people living in close to proximity to wind turbines have:

• Increased incidents of headaches
• More pronounced problems in sleeping
• Constant ringing in the ears
• Frequent mood shifts
• Greater challenges in concentration and memory loss
• Issues with dizziness and nausea

There is yet to be a significant amount of scientific studies to verity that wind turbines emit infra sound. However, whether a “syndrome” actually exists or not, to the extent that the industry addresses these effects (be they from infra sound or audible sound), there are a number of “no regrets” solutions that can only benefit the continued use of wind power as a viable alternative to other less desirable sources of power.

How to Mitigate the Impact of Wind Turbines

There are two efforts ongoing to offset the effects of wind turbine syndrome or simply chronic sleep loss attributed to people living near a noise-producing source. They include:

• The newer wind power technologies use sound dampening systems which are designed to block out certain sound frequencies.
• Larger “buffer zones” are being established around wind farms, with minimum distances of 1.2 to 2 miles established as the current criteria. Some of the earlier wind farms were erected within a half mile of residential areas.

Neither of these measures will fully counter the effects of wind turbine syndrome and are designed to address the issues around audible sounds, which is not in dispute. As research continues and the impacts of these measures are quantified, the industry will be in a better position to make the right decisions regarding the viability of wind power in the wake of this issue. The final outcome regarding the role wind energy plays in the overall solution will be driven by the industry’s effectiveness in dealing with the more conventional objections of cost and reliability of supply.