| Popis: |
In June 2013, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts launched a Community Wind Energy Initiative to provide support and guidance to municipalities, developers and stakeholders for land-based wind projects. The initiative convened a technical advisory group of experts to solicit input on wind turbine sound policy. This Wind and Noise Technical Advisory Group (WNTAG) is led by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and includes other state agency representatives, wind energy experts, industry representatives, affected community representatives, health experts, and acoustical consultants. The WNTAG has met several times since July 2013 and has addressed many aspects of wind turbine noise that may influence and/or become a part of a new statewide noise policy for land-based wind turbines. In this presentation, the authors provide perspective on the process, progress toward a revised policy, and the policy and technical aspects that were discussed, which included absolute vs. relative noise criteria, noise level metrics, measurement protocols for compliance evaluation, amplitude modulation, and modeling approaches for pre-construction permitting. |
