Shining a Light on Solar Farms: How to Conduct Noise Studies in the New “It” Industry
One of the greatest benefits of renewable energy is that it uses resources straight from the environment to generate power. That means, as long as the sun keeps shining, we will have a source for clean solar power. So, it’s no surprise that many in the industry are looking to solar farms as the new big thing.
Solar Farms vs. Other Renewable Energy
For well over a century, coal-and-natural-gas-fired power plants have been the norm in North America. However, the desire to cut back on pollution and greenhouse gases has prompted many jurisdictions to seek greener sources of energy, like wind and solar. For example, the State of New York has set a goal of carbon-free electricity by 2040, and the Biden administration recently released a blueprint showing how the US could move toward producing almost half of its electricity from the sun by 2050.
To date, a popular option has been wind farms, but the industry has faced concerns over sound. A quieter alternative gaining traction in the US is solar farms. Comprised of rows of solar panels, these farms harvest the sun rather than crops and show so much promise that they are becoming a common sight throughout the rural US. In New York, they are providing incentives for developers to build solar farms in the state.
In Canada, Ontario’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program encouraged a greater uptake of renewable energy sources. Launched in 2009, it offered payment for production and was responsible for most of the solar installed in Canada. That program has since ended but it hasn’t discouraged the development of solar farms. The largest solar project in Canada and one of the largest in North America is currently under construction in Alberta. Still in its early stages, the project will have 1.3 million solar panels and will be able to power more than 150,000 homes. The $700 million project is expected to have a significant economic impact on the local community that was hit hard by the downturn in oil and gas.
Are Solar Farms Noisy?
A common solar farm misconception is that they don’t make any noise. While the solar panels themselves don’t make noise, the farms do emit noise. That’s because the solar farm includes a set of inverters, which generate noise. The other source of noise is the transformer substation. They are not the loudest noise sources, but their tonal sound, like the hum of an air conditioner, can be annoying to some. Like all projects, in order for the site to be approved, the noise needs to be studied and shown to regulators that it meets their environmental noise requirements.
Tips for Solar Farm Noise Compliance
1. Optimize Your Layout Early to Look for Advantageous Inverter Locations
The best noise control is no noise control. By placing the inverters in a way that maximizes the distance to sensitive neighbours and potentially shields them with the panels, you may eliminate the need for any noise controls.
2. Work with the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to Consider the Noise Output of the Inverters Being Evaluated
OEMs will often have options for quieter fans and built-in noise controls to reduce acoustic emissions. These options may cost more, but they should be weighed against the cost of solar farm noise compliance consulting and mitigation requirements at the site, which can often be more expensive.
3. Build Flexibility into Your Design
Much of the Acoustical engineering for solar farms is done after the environmental permitting has been completed. This means that assumptions must be made about appropriate inverter locations, models, and noise controls. In certain regulatory schemes, moving inverter locations after permitting has been completed could result in costs and delays due to the need to re-permit the new locations. Build locational flexibility into the permit so that on-site decisions about the final inverter locations can be made during construction, in adherence to the original permit.
Benefits of Solar Farms
With so much focus globally on greener sources of energy, solar farms offer significant promise. Much like with wind farms, the goal is to proactively avoid noise complaints rather than working to fix them later. Conducting noise studies with solar farm noise compliance consulting will not only help secure approvals but also allow for addressing noise issues during design, potentially saving on mitigation costs later.
Acoustical engineering for solar farms helps optimize the design for minimal noise impact, ensuring that both energy production and environmental noise standards are met effectively. By working with the right professionals and incorporating noise compliance into the planning stage, developers can avoid costly adjustments or delays down the line.
