How loud is a Wind Turbine?

Because wind turbines are such a great source of clean, renewable energy, they’re usually greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm. Especially since the catastrophe in Japan, wind energy is on everyone's mind again.

Google Search Results for wind and wind energy has been rising since March - but what about those complaints about the complaints of local residents on aesthetics and noise levels.

Apparently the noise of wind turbines can be heard within a mile of the blades. Is this so? How noisy are these turbines?


The closest that a wind turbine is typically placed to a home is 300 meters or more. At that distance, a turbine will have a sound pressure level of 43 decibels. To put that in context, the average air conditioner can reach 50 decibels of noise, and most refrigerators run at around 40 decibels.


At 500 meters (0.3 miles) away, that sound pressure level drops to 38 decibels. In most places, according to Keith Longtin of GE Global Research, background noise ranges from 40 to 45 decibels, meaning that a turbine’s noise would be lost amongst it. For the stillest, most rural areas, Longtin says the background noise is 30 decibels. At that level, a wind turbine located about a mile away wouldn’t be heard.

For a complete run down of louder-than-a-fridge but quieter-than-a-blender context points, check out the graphic below.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

Are you interested in Wind and Renewable Energy? Visit the following conference website for more information on the topic area. Also visit the Download Center for free articles and whitepapers, complimentary presentations and interviews. E/E Systems for Wind Turbines 11-13 Mai 2011 in Bremen