Background Information
Minnesota's wind power supplies 15.94% of the state's electricity, or the equivalent of powering 831,000 homes, from an installed capacity of 3,035 Mega-Watts. Based on installed capacity, Minnesota ranks 8th in the United States (NREL). As wind energy production increases, so do health concerns associated with the noise produced by them.
Wind turbines produce aerodynamic and mechanical noise, and infrasound. Aerodynamic noise comes from the interaction between wind and the turbine blades.The mechanical noise comes from the gears and other mechanical parts of the turbine. Infrasound has a frequency less than 20Hz, which makes it inaudible to the human ear unless at high sound levels. Although it may not be heard, it is possible to feel infrasound if it is loud enough, and as a result potentially has adverse health effects. To investigate these health effects, MNSOWTA will measure and characterize the sound, and possibly infrasound, generated by wind turbines, and test human response to it.