HGC Engineering - Expertise in Noise from Wind Energy Facilities

HGC Engineering has been very active in the past year conducting environmental noise impact assessments of wind farms – a fast growing renewable energy sector. We have prepared reports supporting applications for Certificates of Approval from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for several wind farms in conformance with their criteria, and have provided acoustical engineering for wind  farms in other Canadian and US jurisdictions. We have also assisted municipalities in formulating Official Plan policies and in peer reviewing environmental noise studies. On behalf of Natural Resources Canada, we completed a study of the Pubnico Point Wind Farm in Nova Scotia – a very interesting and contentious situation involving both audible noise and infrasound. The results of the study, (click here to download), were presented at the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) conference in Winnipeg this fall.

We are currently completing an overview and “best practice” guideline for sound from wind turbines for CanWEA that will be published in order to help educate developers and the public.

Through our work in assessing and controlling noise pollution from wind farms, we have a strong familiarity with the operational characteristics of wind turbines and the international standards relevant to wind turbines; the acoustic noise measurement techniques defined in IEC 6140-11 and the modelling techniques defined in ISO 2631-2. We often conduct measurements using real time frequency analyser systems that are well suited for determining and defining the audible and infrasonic characteristics of the sound from wind turbines.