Professor Ken Mattsson Participates in European Parliament Conference on Wind Energy and Public Health
On 24 March, the conference “Unheard but not Harmless: Public Health and Wind Energy Infrasound” will take place at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event brings together researchers, policymakers, and experts to discuss current research on sound and infrasound generated by wind turbines and their potential implications for human health.
Professor at Department of Information Technology; Division of Scientific Computing. Photo: private.
Representing Sweden is Professor Ken Mattsson, a researcher in scientific computing at Uppsala University. Together with Dr. Ursula Bellut-Staeck of Germany, he will present findings and methodological considerations related to research on acoustic emissions from wind turbines. Their presentations focus in particular on measurement techniques and the modeling of sound and infrasound, as well as the scientific challenges involved in accurately characterizing these phenomena.
The conference takes place against the backdrop of ongoing discussions within the European Union concerning environmental noise and the Environmental Noise Directive. As the number of wind turbines in Europe continues to grow—currently exceeding 100,000, with many more planned—issues related to the measurement, analysis, and regulation of acoustic emissions have attracted increasing attention.
One area of particular interest concerns the development of reliable measurement methods capable of capturing the full spectrum of sound and infrasound emissions from wind turbines. Another concerns the need for harmonized approaches within the EU regarding how such emissions should be measured, analyzed, and assessed.
The issue has also gained prominence through Petition 0482/2021, in which organizations from several EU countries call for a common European framework for wind turbine noise. On 25 September 2025, the European Parliament’s Committee on Petitions (PETI) decided that the matter should be further investigated, and the European Commission has committed to providing a written response to the questions raised in the petition.
The conference aims to contribute to a scientifically grounded dialogue among research, policy, and society on how sound from wind turbines can be analyzed, measured, and addressed within the framework of future European guidelines.
In his contribution, Professor Mattsson will also emphasize the importance of modern computational methods tailored to low-frequency sound. In many contexts today, noise impacts from planned wind energy installations are estimated solely through calculations. Modern physics-based computational models can provide more reliable forecasts before facilities are constructed. At the same time, field measurements remain essential for validating models and ensuring compliance with applicable noise limits once wind turbines are in operation.
