Polina Pirch, MSc – Acoustics and noise propagation Wind energy

Noise assessments for wind farms

For wind farms and individual wind turbines I calculate noise predictions and analyse the background noise measurement, as a subcontractor to the commissioning office or as a technical contribution to an environmental impact assessment. The work follows the Austrian noise checklist and international good practice, such as the Good Practice Guide of the UK Institute of Acoustics. The process stays simple for you, because you only provide the site plan, turbine data and measurement data. In return you receive an analysis in which every measured minute is checked for validity and every filtering decision is justified. A focus is mountainous terrain, where quiet valleys and clear nights decide the assessment.

ExampleView the measurement data viewer Level versus wind speed, day and night, third-octave spectra, with a German interface. The data are synthetic and come from no real project. In meetings with the authority and residents the results can be gone through directly on screen.
Map of Austria with the wind turbines and the mean wind speed at 100 m height
Wind turbines in Austria and the mean wind speed at 100 m height. The windiest places are the Alpine ridges, while most turbines so far stand in the lowlands of Lower Austria and Burgenland. In the mountains the assessment takes more work because of terrain and weather conditions.

Wind: Global Wind Atlas 3 (DTU), CC BY 4.0. Turbines: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL, as of 11 October 2026. Borders: Natural Earth. A more detailed overview is given by the wind atlas of Energiewerkstatt.

Background noise

The analysis relates the level at the receiver to the wind speed at the turbine site and derives the trend line according to the Austrian noise checklist. Rain, insects, birds and instrument faults are filtered out, and a listening check confirms the selection. Results are given for day, evening, night and the quietest night hour. The measurement itself is carried out by the client or a partner office.

Prediction and assessment

Propagation is calculated to EN ISO 9613-2 in a three-dimensional terrain model, with emission data from test reports to EN 61400-11. The assessment follows the Austrian noise checklist, ÖAL Guideline 3 Part 1 and ÖNORM S 5021, including cumulation with neighbouring wind farms, downwind duration at each receiver and noise-reduced operating modes at night.

Mountainous terrain

In mountainous terrain cold air collects in the valley on clear nights. There is then enough wind on the ridge for the turbines to run, while it is almost calm down at the house, and the background noise that would otherwise cover a turbine is missing. I therefore analyse such nights separately, as well as measuring points next to a stream or with their own ground-level wind measurement.

Construction and operation

For the construction phase I assess construction noise to ÖAL Guideline 3 Part 1, section 8. For operation I propose monitoring that includes periods with downwind conditions and standstill.

I do not offer vibration or structure-borne noise studies. If a permit requires both, I take on the noise part.

For a specific project please send the site plan, turbine type with hub height and the location of the nearest dwellings. Phone +43 677 61951829, email office@immissionspunkt.at