Environmental noise emissions from on-site diesel electric generators

Abstract

The installation of on-site diesel generators as an alternative to purchasing electric power from a central source may be accompanied by an adverse environmental noise impact. Noise vibration emissions from on-site diesel engine generators need not become a source of community annoyance if regulatory agencies require and review noise impact analyses for new installations, and if adequate noise abatement devices are installed and maintained. A noisy installation may become a chronic source of community annoyance, since retrofitting noise controls to an existing installation, when feasible, can be extremely costly and may therefore not be implemented. This paper reports on a study which developed procedures for (1) calculating environmental noise and vibration emissions from on-site diesel generators which consider variables such as proximity to nearest neighbor, local ambient sound levels, location of the facility, method of cooling and type, size and quality of equipment to be installed, and (2) estimating noise abatement costs for on-site diesel generators. In urban areas where there are insufficient open spaces to provide for adequate noise abatement buffer zones, the installation of noise abatement devices such as vibration isolators, mufflers, and enclosures are an absolute necessity, and the cost to abate diesel engine-generator noise may be as high as $42 000 per engine. [The Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc., sponsored the study, “Diesel-Engine Generator Noise and Vibration Abatement,” prepared by Bolt Beranek & Newman Inc., Report No. 4187, November 1979.]