Noise

There are two main sources of noise from a wind turbine: the mechanical hum of the gearbox and the sound of the blade tips cutting through the air.

Newer designs of large wind turbines have cut down on noise, many by doing away with the need for a gearbox.

In urban areas, the noise from a small wind turbine may be easily drowned out by other noise (eg road traffic), but the proximity of neighbour’s means that careful siting is very important.

Noise may be a particular issue at night-time.