10th – 13th June, Copenhagen.
TNEI is presenting in Copenhagen at the 11th edition of the International Conference on Wind Turbine Noise.
These biennial conferences were instigated by Geoff Leventhall for INCE Europe in 2005.
The conferences brings together the latest information on noise and vibration from wind turbines, providing an opportunity for researchers of wind turbine noise and its effects to discuss, debate and share insight.
We are delighted to have been selected to present two papers at this upcoming conference.
On Thursday 12th at 14.10 – 14.30, Jason Baldwin will present his paper titled ‘Issues Relating to Predictions Based Limits’.
Followed by Jim Singleton who at 14.30 – 14.50 will present his paper titled ‘Planning conditions – what should they cover?’
Paper Abstracts
‘Issues Relating to Predictions Based Limits’.
The basing of wind farm noise limits on predicted noise levels is something that, in theory, is a common sensical way of conditioning. However, in practice, it is unnecessarily complex with many instances leading to avoidable losses in renewable energy.
This paper will explore the positives and negatives involved in setting noise limits based on predictions and is backed by measurements taken over several years from an operational wind farm in the UK/Ireland.
The paper concludes that, on balance, this method would be the least desirable of those available when conditioning wind farms.
‘Planning Conditions – what should they cover?’
The wind farm industry spends a significant amount of time and effort designing wind farm developments which carefully consider the relevant noise regulations. Whilst many developments go on to be built and operate without any noise issues, it is sometimes necessary to rely on noise controls included within the developments planning consent to resolve issues, including complaints.
In the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, the first line of control is in the form of planning conditions.
Good practice guidance produced by the UK Institute of Acoustics provides an example planning condition which is used in some planning consents. Despite the presence of an example condition, there continue to be a range of planning conditions which are applied in practice and developers, consultants, consenting authorities and residents often disagree on what should be included and what should not.
This paper will look at some planning conditions applied recently in the UK and Republic of Ireland will look at current trends and hot topics (e.g. inclusion of post construction compliance monitoring, consideration of cumulative noise, and accounting for noise character).
Consideration will also be given to how each of the most common elements align with the requirements of a planning condition as set out in the relevant policy / guidance including the National Planning Policy Framework (for England and Wales), the Development Management Guidelines (for Ireland) and Circular 4/98 (for Scotland). All three documents require planning conditions to be: necessary, relevant to planning, relevant to the development, enforceable, precise and reasonable in all other respects.
You can access the registration page and find more details on the programme on the event website.
