UK Wind Turbine Study Shows Minimal Concerns Over Noise Pollution

Most British wind turbines do not make much noise and people who complain about them should not be losing sleep, according to a study published on Wednesday.

Some people living near wind farms complain they are kept awake by a phenomenon known as aerodynamic modulation (AM), low frequency noise made as the blades swoosh through the night air.

A government-commissioned study by Salford University found the phenomenon -- sometimes described as sounding like a distant train -- could affect four of the country's 133 wind farms.

This, the government says, is no justification for stemming the growth of the technology Britain is betting on to cut its carbon emissions.

"Where there are legitimate problems we will address them," Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks said in a statement. "But it is essential that we produce more wind power if we are to meet our climate change and security of supply aims."

The government said it did not plan any further research into the issue after the Salford study supported another government commissioned probe in 2006 that concluded AM was "the exception rather than a general problem" with wind farms.

Faced with environmental limits on hydropower and little sun to power solar panels, blustery Britain wants to make the most of the only potential energy source it has in abundance -- wind.

The government needs lots of big ones to be built, especially offshore, where winds are stronger and human objectors far away, to meet its own target of getting 20 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020.

Electricity from renewable sources in the UK was just 4.6 percent of total generation last year.