The Influence of Background Sounds on Loudness and Annoyance of Wind Turbine Noise

Natural sounds may create pleasant soundscapes that mask wind turbine noise. To explore this, a listening test was performed to investigate the influence of background sounds on perceived loudness and annoyance of wind turbine noise. A magnitude estimation method was used to measure perceived loudness and annoyance of wind turbine noise heard together with and without natural ambient sounds. Results indicate that decreased loudness and annoyance occurs if the level of the background sound exceeds the level of the wind turbine noise. The loudness experiment revealed that ambient sounds influenced the perception of wind turbine noise to a higher degree than predicted from a model of energetic masking. Annoyance ratings were less altered by background sound than perceived loudness. The results of the present listening study indicates that masking of wind turbine noise by positive natural sounds may be used as a complement to conventional noise control measures to improve the sound environment in areas exposed to wind turbine noise.