Wind Turbine Noise Measurements in Chile

Wind turbine noise is one of the most important environmental issues when wind farms are operating. Rural communities can be affected due to the noise impact, particularly in the night where the background noise levels are lower. On the other hand, wind industry in Chile is growing fast. Renewable energy today represents 19% of the total electrical capacity in the national systems, and wind energy contributes 6% to this value. According to the national policy of energy is expected that by 2050 renewable energy will represent at least 70% of the total electrical capacity, which will require a huge development of wind energy in the country. This implies that more wind farms will be built in Chile and possibly, a greater number of people will be affected by the noise. Within the framework of the development of wind industry in the country, measurements have been made throughout Chile, identifying the variations presented by noise emissions in relation to the measurement technique, distances and the country's weather profiles. This paper presents a comparison between these measurements.