Wind Energy and Your Health
More than 54,000 wind turbines are in operation in the United States today, safely generating electricity for our nation. Wind energy is one of the healthiest forms of energy generation in the world because it releases no greenhouse gases, soot, or carbon into the atmosphere; it also does not consume valuable freshwater or produce water pollution. Apex wind projects are built in full compliance with local, state, and federal safety regulations to protect the health and welfare of landowners, maintenance teams, and others.
Key Findings from Health Impact Studies
Government- and university-sponsored studies around the world have repeatedly confirmed that modern wind turbines pose no threat to public health. A growing number of studies reviewed by independent experts on wind energy and health have reached the same conclusion.
The World Health Organization, which classifies diseases, does not recognize wind turbine syndrome, nor does any other medical institution.
Wind Energy is Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
In 2015, 191 million megawatt-hours were generated by wind energy. This production avoided an estimated 132 million metric tons of CO2, the equivalent emissions of 28.1 million cars.
The electricity generated in 2015 also displaced approximately 176,000 metric tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and 106,000 metric tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), representing $7.3 billion in avoided health costs last year alone.
—American Wind Energy Association, “Wind Energy Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions,” 2016
The American Lung Association has recognized the need for cleaner air in its Healthy Air Campaign, “Unhealthy air is hazardous to our families and even can threaten life itself.” The campaign also supports a transition to a clean energy future, “..reforms to transmission and distribution policies that will encourage the expansion and delivery of clean, renewable, non-combustion energy resources.”
—American Lung Association, “Public Policy Position-Energy,” February 27, 2016
Wind Turbine Sound
The sound of wind turbine blades passing through the air is often described as a “whoosh.” If properly constructed at approved setback distances, the sound does not result in any health concerns. Scientific evidence confirms that this sound is not detrimental and that any low-frequency or infrasound waves produced are not harmful to those nearby.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, “Wind Turbines and Health-MIT,” November 2014.
Noise from wind turbines, including low-frequency noise and infrasound, is similar to noise from many other natural and human-made sources. There is no reliable or consistent evidence that proximity to wind farms directly causes health effects.
Australian Government, National Health and Medical Research Council, “Evidence on Wind Farms and Human Health,” February 2015.
“… infrasound emitted by wind turbines is minimal and of no consequence … Further, numerous reports have concluded that there is no evidence of health effects arising from infrasound or low frequency noise generated by wind turbines.”
Frontiers in Public Health, “Wind Turbines and Human Health,” June 2014.
Related Resources
Association of Australian Acoustical Consultants: Position Statement on Wind Farms
An independent organization of acoustical experts states that the infrasound generated by wind farms is lower than many other forms of infrasound already in the environment, including the sound produced by our own heartbeats.
Acousticians Sound Off Over Wind Farm Opposition
Acoustic engineers are increasingly frustrated by community opposition to wind farm development as local opposition groups—often supported nationally by anonymous donors—snub scientific evidence in favor of myth and misinformation about turbine noise. Click here for the PDF.
Shadow Flicker
This term refers to the shadows cast by wind turbine blades as they rotate in front of the sun. By positioning wind turbines at a carefully calculated angle and distance from dwellings, Apex ensures that most homes in a project experience no shadowing at all. For those that do, shadowing should occur for no more than a few minutes per day, on average. Shadowing does not occur on cloudy or foggy days.
While some have claimed that shadow flicker can create risk of seizures in photosensitive individuals, scientific evidence suggests that shadow flicker does not pose a risk of inducing seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, “Wind Turbines and Health-MIT,” November 2014.
Ice Throw
In some wintry conditions, ice can accumulate on turbine blades. Sophisticated vibration sensors on the turbine blade automatically shut the turbine down when this occurs. In almost all cases, ice drops straight to the ground, just like icicles or snow sliding off a roof. Apex exceeds minimum setback requirements to make absolutely certain ice is not a risk to neighboring structures.
The risk of ice striking a home 984 feet from a turbine is extremely low—researchers estimate that if it happens at all, it is only likely to occur once every 625 years.
Related Research
Ice Shedding and Ice Throw – Risk and Mitigation: A report by GE Energy
Recommendations for Risk Assessments of Ice Throw and Blade Failure in Ontario: A report by Garrad Hassan
Additional Studies on Wind Turbine and Health
Wind turbines and health: a critical review of the scientific literature
The Potential Health Impact of Wind Turbines
Health effects and wind turbines: A review of the literature
Infrasound from Wind Turbines – Fact, Fiction, or Deception
Concerns About Infrasound from Wind Turbines
Infrasound and Low Frequency Noise from Wind Turbines: Exposure and Health Effects
Measurement and Level of Infrasound From Wind Farms and Other Sources