Wind farm noise impact in France: A proposition of acoustic model improvements for predicting energy production

Abstract: Despite all environmental and economic advantages of wind power, noise emission remains an issue for population acceptance. In France, the current noise emission regulation defines noise emergence level thresholds, leading to wind turbine curtailment. Great energy generation losses and thus lost revenues are at stake. This master thesis presents current acoustic campaigns conducted for the development of a wind power project in France and proposes acoustic model improvements to predict curtailment losses before the construction of the wind farm. It first gives insights about the French wind power context and a literature review of available technologies to reduce noise emission from the blades. It then presents the particularities of French regulation of emergence levels and the use of the norm NFS 31-114 during the commissioning acoustic control. It explains the current acoustic model used at the development stage to predict noise emission and curtailment and finally proposes improvements such as considering the topography, the environmental characteristics and the use of uncertainties.