Call For Submissions – Special Issue on Acoustics and Sustainable Energy

Dear subscribers of NNI,

Controlling climate change is not just turning down the dial on your temperature controller in your house, but implies the installation of extensive energy generating and energy saving systems. It is almost certain that these systems will change the acoustic environment for better or for worse. The shift in vehicle propulsion from internal combustion to electric might improve city noise but may worsen motorway noise because of the larger and rolling resistance optimized tires. Wind turbines have problems generating electricity without disturbing the neighbors; heat pumps will have a problem working as quietly as a conventional gas stove. Large fields with solar panels may improve acoustic propagation conditions when organized as barriers, or worsen it because of the reflective surfaces. Improving the energy efficiency of aircraft did correlate with lower noise emissions, but the open-rotor engines might spoil this relation.

We dedicate the special issue of NNI next spring to the acoustic aspects of energy transformation. Our readers will be most interested in learning what noise consequences are to be expected and what mitigation measures can be taken. We invite everybody to submit papers with their ideas, experiences, concerns, solutions, and other developments in this area.

We look forward to an exciting special issue that presents possibilities to fight climate change and save our acoustic environment.