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Wind turbines near Brandenburg: noise and smoke?
Photo: Patrick Pleul / dpa
How much noise do wind turbines make?
After the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) had overestimated the noise pollution from wind turbines for years, Federal Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) has now apologized for the incorrect calculations.
"I'm very sorry that wrong numbers were in the room for a long time," said Altmaier in Berlin.
The authority is subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Economics.
She stated the exposure to inaudible infrasound at 100 decibels instead of 64 decibels.
Altmaier said there were »worlds« between the BGR figures and »what is actually the case«.
He thinks "this process is very problematic."
He will make sure that he is cleared up.
The acceptance of onshore wind turbines suffered “a little” from the wrong figures, said Altmaier.
He hopes that people who are very concerned about the effects of infrasound exposure on their health will now feel "some relief."
The BGR study, published for the first time in 2009, is often cited nationwide by opponents of wind power as evidence of health risks that wind power plants would pose.
According to a report from »Zeit«, the BGR did not take into account deviating scientific findings for years.
The Erlangen-based physicist Martin Hundhausen spoke of a "systematic error" in the agency's study that it should have noticed long ago.
The authority has admitted its mistake. The BGR told the newspaper that it was due to incorrect programming in the calculation. New series of measurements on "modern wind turbines" are planned.