Michigan’s Very Own Study Discounts Wind Turbine Fears
We’ve been saying it for months: Before ruling out wind turbines in the Great Lakes, let’s see some facts that prove how bad (or good) they really are.
Now, some of the data we’ve been talking about is finally here. Two of the biggest arguments against wind turbines seem to be the noise they make and the flickering light effect they can create. The Grand Valley State University West Michigan Wind Assessment project issued its second brief this month addressing both of these arguments.
If you have not stood next to a working turbine, it can be unsettling to imagine the noise caused by whirring mechanical components and rotating blades on our waters or in our communities. The West Michigan project says our fears are mostly irrational. "Studies show a single, modern, utility-scale wind turbine produces sounds at about the same loudness as a normal conversation, at a distance of 100 feet from the turbine," Eric Nordman, a GVSU assistant professor of biology, who heads up the project team has said.
This brief describes in more specific terms the science behind evaluating the noise levels of wind turbines. For a simple comparison, see the project figure that compares the noise generated by wind turbines with common sounds like cars and whispers.
After noise concerns, some worry about the flicker effect. In reality, the brief says, “guidelines for wind farm development recommend a flicker rate of no more than three per second,” the same standard flicker rate used in television. Perhaps even more importantly, most counties regulate the amount that shadow flickers on a home. Ottawa County’s model ordinance mandates that shadow flicker on a home not exceed 30 hours per year.
Now that we have the facts, let’s set the record straight: Maybe wind turbines really aren’t so bad. If we compare the relatively small noise and light impact that turbines have compared with say, coal plants, wind turbines start to look like a very good option indeed.
Learn more about the Grand Valley State University West Michigan Wind Assessment project here.
--- Photo via random_fotos
