Z E M C H 2 0 1 2 I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o n f e r e n c e
490
Figure 14: Segregation of the acceptance of a wind turbine according to
age
Noise levels of the wind turbine when functioning is a crucial factor as it can become a
huge hindrance to the community. 10% of them noticed noise disturbance as shown in
chart 11, this shows that the noise from the wind turbine installed was a problem only to
the closest residences. The SWIFT turbine installed produces less than 35dB according
to the company specification which is less than a whisper. There have been advances in
technologies since then and the amounts of noise levels produced by a wind turbine
have been minimized using different materials and forms. As the market for wind turbine
increases there will be more investments into the research and development of the
technologies and designs would further help in reducing the noise levels. The fact that
only 10% noticed noise disturbance shows that this is not the main concern for not
accepting or not considering a wind turbine (Fig.15).
Figure 15: Percentage of people that noticed the noise from wind turbine
Wind turbine is a visible addition to the building which would not go unnoticed. Thus wind
turbine can influence people in changing their life styles for saving energy as a
contribution from their part. It has the potential to send positive message about saving
and generating energy at small scale. But in this case only one person got influenced by
the wind turbine and changed to energy efficient bulbs. The fact that the wind turbine
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Accept
Do not accept
>60
<60
Yes
10%
No
90%
Noise disturbance
