Noise Pollution: The Never-Ending Hum
Data centers don’t sleep. The WHO recommends nighttime noise below 40 dB to protect public health. A data center’s ambient hum alone can push 50–65 dB at the property line — every night, forever.
HVAC Fans
1–8 kHz whine — right where human hearing is most sensitive
Chillers & Towers
Low-frequency hum traveling through the ground and walls, perceptible hundreds of yards away
Diesel Generators
85–100+ dB at source, tested monthly under load
Transformer Hum
60 Hz plus harmonics at 120, 180, 240 Hz — notoriously hard to mitigate
Chronic low-frequency noise causes sleep disturbance, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive impairment in children.
“The WHO says nighttime noise above 40 decibels harms human health. This facility will run at 60-plus decibels — every single night, forever. That’s not a neighbor. That’s a health hazard.”