Attended sound monitoring of wind turbines

Abstract

Long-term unattended sound monitoring of wind turbines allows the selection of optimal data from a long period of time in which many meteorological conditions occur. However, in some cases, attended monitoring is required, either as a specific requirement of the permitting or because many measurement sites are required, making long-term monitoring impractical. Short-term attended monitoring of wind turbines introduces several complexities to ensure that the data are valid and representative of the target conditions. To illustrate this, we describe the challenges of attended octave band sound measurements made at 38 sites in the vicinity of wind turbines in Illinois in September, October, and November 2021. The attending monitoring was completed at night to reduce the background sound levels and involved the cooperation of residences, turbine operators, and the weather. Successful navigation of these challenges led to completion of the sound monitoring at all locations and acceptance of the study by the County.