Many people wonder just how noisy a wind turbine is.  An operating wind turbine does produce some noise, but it is not noisy.  As a matter of fact, wind turbines are so quiet that you could carry on a normal conversation while standing underneath them.

In Québec, memorandum of instruction No. 98-01 issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife (MRNF) sets the acceptable noise level, measured at the exterior wall of homes located near a wind farm, at 40 decibels at night and 45 decibels during the day.  Kruger Energy has decided on a maximum noise level of 40 decibels at all times, which is no noisier than a kitchen refrigerator placed outside a home.

The table opposite compares the noise produced by a wind turbine to other customary sounds, in decibels.

Setbacks required for compliance with current noise standards in Québec mean that wind turbines must be located about 500 metres or more from the nearest home.  Several municipalities have also established minimum distances between houses and wind turbines.  The average distance between each wind turbine in the Montérégie Wind Farm Project and the nearest home is 1 km, and never less than 750 metres.