Noise Report - Andersen home in Falmouth, MA

Wind Turbine Noise Falmouth Massachusetts

Noise Report - Andersen home in Falmouth, MA

Neil Andersen had a great business and a wonderful home in Falmouth, MA USA.

Shortly after a 1.65 MW wind turbine was installed and made operational less than a mile from where he lived he and his wife began to suffer from strange symptoms that made living in his home unbearable.
TM 2015-004 Infrasound Measurements of Wind TurbinesNoise Control Engineering, LLC- 1 -0.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARYNoise Control Engineering, LLC (NCE) was retained by Senie & Associates P.C. to evaluate theacoustic impact at the home of Neil and Betsy Andersen at 211 Blacksmith Shop Road, EastFalmouth, Massachusetts. The goal of the evaluation was to determine if the three nearby windturbines were detectable within the interior of the home. These wind turbines are all Vestas,model V82 at 1.65 megawatts. Two wind turbines are owned by the Town of Falmouth; knownas “Wind #1” and “Wind #2”. The third turbine is privately owned by Notus Clean Energy andreferred to as the “Notus” turbine. Wind #1 is the closest to the Andersen home at a nominaldistance of 1,385 feet. The other two wind turbines are more than double that distance.

Soon after the first wind turbine was operational, complaints were filed by the Andersens andother neighbors. In the following years, evaluations of audible sound were performed by variousorganizations including NCE, consultants for the Town, consultants for Notus, and even theMassachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP). Various results werereported with some evaluations showing compliance and some showing non-compliance.The study reported herein differed in a number of ways from previous evaluations performed byNCE and others. The major difference is that the primary measurements reported here isinfrasound. Briefly, infrasound is sound pressure levels with frequency below 20 hertz which isgenerally considered an inaudible frequency range. Another difference is that measurementswere taken both inside and outside the home. All previous tests were performed at exteriorlocations due to the fact that State regulations and local ordinance were only applicable atoutdoor locations.

The methods used herein allowed for the collection of infrasonic sound pressure levels within theinside of the Andersen residence. Inspection of this data shows that there is a readily identifiableacoustic signature that is attributable to the Wind #1 Turbine, and to slightly lessor extent theWind #2 turbine both inside and outside the Andersen home. These results are similar to resultsfrom other international researchers with references given in the report.

Based on our experience, NCE can unequivocally state that the infrasonic signature captured inside the Andersen residence with the wind turbines operational is 100% attributable to one orboth of the Town’s Wind Turbines. To put the conclusions more commonly, this study finds thatthe wind turbine(s) produce acoustic emissions which are “acoustically trespassing” into theAndersen home.

TECHNICAL MEMO 2015-004

Infrasound Measurements of Falmouth Wind TurbinesWind #1 and Wind #2

Michael Bahtiarian, INCE Bd. Cert.Allan Beaudry

February 27, 2015

NCE JOB No. J14-100

Prepared for:CHRISTOPHER SENIE & ASSOCIATES5

East Main Street, 2nd FloorWestborough, MA 01581

Attention: Mr. Christopher Senie, Esq.

Prepared by:NOISE CONTROL ENGINEERING, LLC799 Middlesex TurnpikeBillerica, MA 01821978-670-5339978-667-7047 (fax)www.noise-control.com