Ordering Party: POLENERGIA S.A. ul. Krucza 24/26, 00-526 Warszawa NIP: 526-18-88-932 Contact person: Basis: Marta PORZUCZEK The order placed on 28/05/2019 e-mail: [email protected] mobile: +48 609 909 702 Subject of the study: The acoustic audit for the planned D ębsk Wind Farm to the needs of the application to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Performed by: Checked by: Marcin MARECKI MSc acoustician Jacek SZULCZYK PhD vibroacoustician June 2019 1. SCOPE OF THE REPORT The report includes acoustic analysis from the planned D ębsk Wind Farm. The report includes: a) Presenting the ambient noise levels which have been determined by using real noise measurements which come from existing noise sources (neighbouring wind turbines, local industry and / or services and communication routes), b) Inventory of sensitive residential areas protected against noise and setting noise limits for them. Noise limits are based on the area inspection of the planned farm and on the basis of the analysis of the existing planning documents, c) Noise modeling for planned wind turbines, which was shown by means of the noise range for the time of the day and the night time, d) Calculation of the cumulative effect, i.e. including the already existing wind turbines and the planned D ębsk Wind Farm in the noise modeling, e) Performing noise calculations for the construction stage of a farm for an exemplary location of a wind turbine. Page | 2 2. ANALYSIS OF THE AMBIENT SOUND LEVELS - THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE ACOUSTIC CLIMATE FOR THE INVESTMENT AREA The Kuczbork-Osada and Żuromin communes, where the construction of the D ębsk Wind Farm is planned, are rural communes. Within the investment area, farm buildings predominate. The noise in the environment of the areas concerned, is primarily associated with agricultural activity carried out by residents, the highest intensity of which occurs in the spring and summer months when intensive field work is underway. There are also numerous poultry-farming facilities in both communes. The acoustic impact of these facilities on the surrounding environment varies depending on the number of livestock buildings (henhouses), as well as their distance from the acoustically protected building. On the basis of the area inspection, it was found that a small number of breeding buildings is similar to residential buildings, therefore their operation is not a significant acoustic nuisance for residents of neighbouring areas. This fact was also confirmed by acoustic measurements on the premises of the planned farm, the results of which are presented in the further part of the study. Another source of noise which shapes the acoustic climate of the areas of the planned wind farm in a decisive way, are roads linking individual towns that form the basis of the communes’ transport system. In the northern part of the area of this investment, the provincial road No. 563 is located between the villages of Zielona and Kuczbork. It should be emphasized that the emission of the noise in the environment and the applicable limits is dependent on the established groups of noise sources. It means that the so-called industrial noise (eg. henhouses, wind turbines, services) has separate noise limits compared to noise which comes from public roads or railways. In other words, both groups of noise sources are subject to separate acoustic evaluation and are regulated by different acceptable sound levels. This is the reason why industrial and communication noise cannot be assessed as a cumulative acoustic impact. In the north-east and eastward direction of the planned investment, there is Żuromin Wind Farm consisting of 30 Gamesa G90 2.0 MW turbines with 100 m high towers. Some turbines (numbers: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 26) , located in the vicinity of the towns of Przyspa and Zielona, shape the acoustic climate in their areas. In addition, in the vicinity of the planned wind farm, there are also single wind turbines: Vestas V90 in the vicinity of Cierpigórz and Enercon E58 in the vicinity of Olszewo. The above mentioned turbines are located within 2000 m of the planned D ębsk Wind Page | 3 Farm turbines, therefore they will be taken into account in the acoustic analysis as noise sources that generate cumulative impact in acoustically protected areas. The remaining turbines belonging to FW Żuromin and other single turbines located in the vicinity of the towns of Zielona and Żuromin, are located at a distance of over 2000 m from the turbines of the subject farm and will not be taken into account in the simulation analysis. This is due to the fact that at such a large distance noise generated by wind turbine propellers does not contribute to the resultant sound level with other turbines. During the visit of the planned wind farm which was on 05.06.2019, measurements of the ambient noise level at five measurement points, which were located near residential buildings, were carried out. Points were selected in locations situated close to the boundaries of the investment area, and, at the same time, in places where the highest impact of noise which comes from existing sources of industrial noise (livestock buildings, wind turbines) was expected. The adopted methodology for determining ambient noise were guidelines covering the measurement of environmental noise in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of 30/14/2014 regarding the requirements for conducting measurements of emission volumes and measurements of the amount of water taken in. Journal of Laws of 2015, item 1542, Annex No. 7 - Reference methodology for periodic measurements of noise in the environment from installations or devices with the exception of impulsive noise. Physical measurements of ambient noise were carried out for the normal operation of the tested noise sources (henhouses, existing turbines) in all 5 measuring points. During the tests, the measuring microphone was located on the border of housing from the side of the noise source and on the recommended height of 4 meters above the ground. The time of ambient background noise analysis for a given measuring point included the required 3 samples, which made it possible to assess the current ambient noise in an reliable way. It should be emphasized that the purpose of ambient noise measurements was to assess current sound levels from existing noise sources (neighbouring turbines, henhouses, services) and to analyze whether the current ambient noise will affect the accumulation of noise from planned wind turbines. The obtained sound levels from the ambient noise tests caused that in the further part of the report, acoustic calculations of noise accumulation, which comes from existing turbines and the planned ones within the D ębsk wind farm investment, were carried out. The results of the measurements are presented in the table below. Page | 4 Table 1. The results of the background noise measurements in the area of the planned Dębsk wind farm The Measured level of The measurement Audible sources of noise measurement the ambient noise point address point [dB] - Noise from a poultry farm located southwards (animals + appliances) P1 Sadowo 4 - Noise from the Gamesa 41,8 G90 wind turbines - Noise from the Gamesa Zielona, P2 38,8 ul. Obwodowa 9 G90 wind turbines Przyspa (plot no. - Noise from the Gamesa P3 14, area of G90 wind turbines 43,4 Kuczbork) - No significant noise sources, Gamesa G90 turbines at a distance of Kuczbork-Wie ś, P4 about 2 km (audible only 31,5 ul. Ogrodowa 23 sounds of nature: crickets, birds) - Noise from a poultry farm Kliczewo Małe, located in the south-east P5 38,7 ul. Nowa 8 direction CONCLUSION 1: Based on the real noise measurements, it can be noticed that the current sound levels in the measured points are shaped by existing noise sources (wind turbines, henhouses). Obtained ambient noise levels have become the basis for additional computational analyzes as part of the cumulative effect. It should be also noted that in each of the measurement point the ambient noise level was also composed of nature sounds that could not be eliminated (birds, crickets, barking dogs in the distance, rustle of the trees), and which had an influence on the resultant sound level. Page | 5 3. INVENTORY OF SENSITIVE AREAS SUBJECT TO PROTECTION AGAINST NOISE - NOISE LIMITS Permissible sound levels in the external environment are specified in the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of June 14, 2007 on permissible noise levels in the environment (Journal of Laws of 2014, item 112 - consolidated text). According to the above regulation, the permissible values of the equivalent sound level A, LAeq T, for noise from facilities and groups of sources other than roads and railway lines are determined in time periods, equal to the 8 least favorable hours of the day, which falls between 6:00 – 22:00 and first the least favorable hour during the night, between 22:00 – 6:00. The regulation which was mentioned above also defines the categories of areas requiring the acoustic protection. Table 2. Permissible sound level in the environment (Journal of Laws of 2014, item 112 - consolidated text) Other facilities and activities that are source s of noise LAeq D [dBA] No. Type of area reference time period LAeq N [dBA] equal to 8 least favorable reference time period hours of the day in equal to 1 least succession favorable night time a) "A" protection zone of the health resort 1 b) Areas of hospitals outside the city 45 40 a)Areas of single-family housing b) Building areas associated with permanent or temporary stay of children 2 and youth 1) 50 40 c) Areas of social care homes d) Areas of hospitals in cities a) Areas of multi-family housing and collective residence b) Areas of farm buildings 3 55 45 c) Rest and recreation areas 1) d) Residential and service areas Areas in the downtown zone of cities 4 over 100,000 residents 2) 55 45 Explanation: 1) In the event of non-use of these areas, according to their function, during the night, there is no acceptable noise level at night.