Acoustic Characterization of Wind Farms in Chile: Wind Turbine Noise Measurements throughout the Country

Acoustic measurements of six wind farms operating in Chile were performed. The wind farms are distributed from North to South of the country. Continuous and discrete noise measurements were developed in each wind farm, to show a space and time characterization of the wind turbine noise emissions. For two weeks, two continuous measurements were performed for each wind farm. Discrete measurements were carried out during daytime and nighttime, for one hour. On the other hand, wind direction and speed data was simultaneously recorded at the hub height. In some cases, in situ measurements of noise were also carried out using beamforming acoustic camera. It is concluded that discrete noise measurements are not representative to characterize the noise levels generated by a wind farm. In addition, the use of correlation between noise and wind speed is essential to assess whether noise levels are produced by wind farm operation or occasional activities.