Wind Energy Planning

Is the Noise All in Your Head? – Wind Turbine Noise, Physcology and World Perspective

Whilst not in anyway qualified in acoustics, I surprised myself by becoming rather fascinated by the subject when I realized that although you can measure sound very objectively, the effect of this sound on humans varies extensively and is very much linked to psychology. People who are very opposed to wind energy projects and perceive them to be something bad or harmful react very differently to people supportive of wind energy if perceiving any source of noise from the wind turbines. An example of the plethora of reasons why this might result in some people have different experiences than others is “the cognitive itch” used to describe a re-occurring memory of something- like a catchy tune continually replaying in someone’s head.

Wind Energy Questions – What is the impact of wind turbines on house prices?

We now know that climate change is happening and that the most likely cause is human activity. The predicted rises in global temperatures are likely to have devastating economic, social and environmental effects with the poorest people being the most likely to lose their homes. Despite this house price reduction is often cited as the main concern when renewable energy projects are proposed in the western world.

There has been a number of public opinion polls carried out in the UK and other countries with regard to renewable energy and specifically wind energy. These polls carried out at different stages of the wind farm life generally show support for wind energy. However because wind energy technology is relatively new, there has been very little work carried out in relation to effects on property prices.