The issue of noise pollution caused by wind turbines is an important part of the implementation of the Energy transition. In Germany, the number of wind turbine installations has continuously increased over the last years. In 2017, there were 28.675 wind turbines with an installed wind power capacity of 50.777 MW. Therefore, it is particularly important to have clear legal regulations for noise protection by wind turbines. In order to prevent harmful effects on human beings and the environment, various industrial and commercial installations are subject to licensing in Germany. This includes wind turbines with a height of more than 50 m. The legal basis is the German Federal Immission Control Act and the "Technical Instructions on Noise Abatement, TI Noise". Principally, installations subject to licensing shall be established and operated in such a way that this does not involve harmful effects on the environment or other hazards, considerable disadvantages and considerable nuisance to the general public and neighbourhood. In this paper the German regulations for the protection against noise from wind turbines are presented and discussed.
