Wind Energy: Societal and Human Impacts

Wind Energy: Societal and Human Impacts presents the theoretical basis for the various impacts of wind turbines on humans. These impacts include noise (in the audible, low-frequency and infrasound ranges), visual effects (shadow flicker and light reflections), electromagnetic fields, vibrations and oscillations from wind turbines, as well as mechanical impacts and physical risk related to turbine collapse or turbine component failure, throwing of ice or blade parts, fires, etc. Further, this book examines the legal framework, policy approaches and investment processes in the wind energy sector. It addresses the issue of siting and minimum distances between turbines and residential buildings and proposes modifications to legislation, as well as guidelines and recommendations related to environmental impact reports for wind farms, assessment of such reports, monitoring of such impacts and the performance of a post-implementation analysis.

Table of Contents:
Wind turbines – Types of Impacts and Methods to Assess Them. Methodology for Determining the Maximum Intensity of Negative Impacts of a Wind Farm on Human Health. Wind Power Investments. Mitigating Negative Impacts and Ensuring Safety of Residents Living in Vicinity of Wind Farms. Summary and Conclusions.

About the Author :
Prof. Piotr Kacejko, Ph.D., is a graduate of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of Lublin University of Technology. He specializes in the analysis of electric power systems. He is co‑author of computer programs used in the power sector and author of more than 200 articles, papers and research reports. His work carried out over the past 15 years has concerned the determination of connection possibilities, the operation of RES units in the power system and the study of stability in system development planning. He is an expert appointed by the Energy Regulatory Office. He is also a member of the Committee on Electrical Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and a member of the Association of Polish Electrical Engineers and the American IEEE. He served as Rector of Lublin University of Technology from 2012 to 2020. Jacek Szulczyk, Ph.D., is a doctor of technical sciences with specialization in vibroacoustics and a graduate of the Poznan University of Technology. For almost 10 years he cooperated with the Department of Vibroacoustics and Biodynamics of Systems, first as a doctoral student, then as an assistant. He currently works as Chief Acoustician at the Acoustics and Environmental Laboratory of EKO‑POMIAR. He is a member of the National Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment. For more than 10 years he has been carrying out acoustic tasks related to the design and measurement of various noise sources, including wind turbines. Adam Zagubień, Ph.D., is a researcher and teacher at the Koszalin University of Technology. He has 20 years of measurement practice in the field of acoustics and vibration. He is a contractor and manager in several research projects on vibration and noise analysis. He authored and co‑authored more than 30 scientific articles, and published in foreign and domestic journals. He is a reviewer for several foreign journals. He is also an author or co‑author of more than 100 expert reports in the field of environmental protection against noise and vibration, for industrial plants, roads, ports, ships, passenger car ferries and wind farms.