Summerview Wind Facility, Alberta

Location: Pincher Creek,  Alberta
Owner/Operator: TransAlta Renewables

The Summerview Wind Facility includes 61 Vestas wind turbines located Northeast of Pincher Creek, Alberta. The wind project has a capacity of 136 MW. HGC Engineering was retained by TransAlta Renewables to assess the potential sound level impacts of intentional yaw misalignment (wake steering) of several wind turbines.

Intentional yaw misalignment was tested as part of a study completed by Stanford University to investigate the potential for increased annual energy output through wake steering. HGC Engineering simultaneously investigated the potential for increased sound levels or potentially objectionable sound characteristics due to the intentional yaw misalignment. Data was simultaneously collected near wind turbines that were operating in alignment and misaligned with the wind direction. In addition to comparing sound levels of the two sets of wind turbines, the character of the sound, specifically the levels of amplitude modulation, were investigated using the Institute of Acoustics’s Method for Rating Amplitude Modulation in Wind Turbine Noise.

Automated sound level monitoring stations were deployed at several locations surrounding the turbines under test. All instruments deployed by HGC Engineering were remotely accessible in order to periodically validate the collected data, monitor the operation of the equipment, and to reduce the number of site visits required.

The results of the study were published in a research paper and presented at the 2019 Acoustics Week in Canada conference in Edmonton, Alberta.

Acoustical Engineering Services Included:

• Completed an acoustic study to investigate the potential sound level impacts of wind turbine wake steering
• Completed amplitude modulation analysis of wind turbine noise