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Reference Data center home / All paths / Data center noise — audience guide

Data center noise

The noise from most data centers has important characteristics and impacts that are poorly understood. Data center noise doesn’t always stop at the property line. It can travel long distances, penetrate nearby homes, and seriously affect the health and quality of life of the people who live nearby.

Aerial view of a residential neighborhood and intersecting streets
Illustrative photo: Tom Rumble / Unsplash

Data center noise guides for every audience

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If noise is already affecting you
If a facility has been proposed nearby
If nothing has been proposed yet - the greatest opportunity

Learn why noise is an aspect that is often overlooked or ignored in deciding on the location and control of data centers. Explore practical, fact-based information for addressing data center noise at every stage: before a site is selected, before construction begins, or after a facility is operating.

Who we are

Quiet Communities, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, works to reduce harmful noise and related pollution using a collaborative, evidence-based, and solutions-driven approach. We provide tools for local communities and encourage stakeholders—residents, policymakers, and environmental and health professionals — to work together.

For neighbors

  1. This Is a Real, Measurable Problem
  2. What the Science Says About Living with This Noise
  3. How to Check What You’re Hearing
  4. What Neighbors Might Want to Do About Data Center Noise

For local officials

  1. Noise from data centers (and related accessory structures) presents special challenges
  2. The Public-Health Evidence About Noise
  3. The Measurement Tools Already Exist
  4. What Local Officials Can Do About Data Center Noise

For acoustical professionals

  1. It’s More than A-weighted Decibels
  2. This Isn’t Just an Annoyance Claim
  3. What Standard Practice Misses, and Why

In-depth references

  1. Health Effects of Data Center Noise
  2. Measuring and Assessing Data Center Noise

Looking for more?

Explore the Noise Pollution Library for articles, research, presentations and resources on noise and its effects.

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