The Impact of Sound Ordinances on the Land-Based Wind Technical Potential of the United States
- National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Resource Systems Group
The rapid rise of sound ordinances has affected wind energy siting across state, county and local jurisdictions. Quantifying this impact on wind energy potential is required for effective energy planning. However, complex turbine sound modelling combined with evolving policies have contributed to limited understanding of these policies' impact on national wind technical potential. Here we develop an approach to evaluate wind turbine sound profiles across the United States and calculate setback distances from residential structures to translate sound-related policies into spatial turbine siting criteria. Compared to a baseline scenario that ignores sound, we find an 8% reduction in wind energy capacity when accounting for existing sound ordinances. Further, extrapolating a 45-A-weighted decibel (dBA) limit nationwide shows a 29% decline, disproportionately taken from high-quality and low-cost wind capacity. This reveals sound ordinances as a major factor in determining wind technical potential that could challenge US decarbonization goals reliant on wind energy.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Wind Energy Technologies Office
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 2560374
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-6A20-91576
- Journal Information:
- Nature Energy, Journal Name: Nature Energy Vol. 10
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Sound at Scale: Characterizing Impacts of Noise Ordinances on the Onshore Wind Energy Technical Potential for the United States
Wind Turbine Sound Setbacks and Supply Curves: Ordinances and Extrapolated Trends, 110 Hub Height, 130 Rotor Diameter
Impact of Siting Ordinances on Land Availability for Wind and Solar Development
Conference
·
Tue May 07 20:00:00 EDT 2024
·
OSTI ID:2350650
Wind Turbine Sound Setbacks and Supply Curves: Ordinances and Extrapolated Trends, 110 Hub Height, 130 Rotor Diameter
Dataset
·
Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2024
·
OSTI ID:2511387
Impact of Siting Ordinances on Land Availability for Wind and Solar Development
Journal Article
·
Thu Aug 03 00:00:00 EDT 2023
· Nature Energy
·
OSTI ID:1996228