Wind farm noise commissioning methods: A review of methods based on measuring at receiver locations

摘要

Noise commissioning studies are a common regulatory requirement for new wind farm developments in Australia and New Zealand. These studies usually involve unattended A-weighted noise measurements, and in some cases assessment of noise characteristics such as tonality, at surrounding receiver locations to enable comparisons with background noise levels and noise limits established prior to construction of wind farms. This paper presents several examples of commissioning studies that have been completed at Australasian wind farms to explore the benefits and challenges associated with commissioning work based on measurements at receiver locations. Consideration is given to supplementary and alternative commissioning methods such as noise prediction model verification, use of intermediate measurement locations and attended monitoring. Additionally, the commissioning data provides an opportunity for a retrospective review of the suitability of design and planning processes used to develop new wind farm projects.