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Data centre noise — passing the limit, the community and the inspection

A data centre is quiet inside and loud outside. Tens of megawatts of standby generators that must be tested under load, chillers, cooling towers and dry coolers running 24 hours a day, transformers and inverters humming at low frequency — all in a building that is usually sited near people because it must be near the grid and the fibre. In September 2026 the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration began inspecting data centres across the capital, required advance notification of generator test schedules after a complaint about night-time testing, and cited a normal average not above 70 decibels and not above 115 decibels during testing; at the same time the government paused 166 data-centre projects to write national criteria, naming noise and heat impacts on surrounding areas as a direct concern. Noise is no longer the last item on a data-centre design checklist. It is a condition of getting the permit and of staying open.

When to call us

A project waiting for the new criteria, which needs its acoustic documentation ready the moment approvals resume
Site selection and layout — before the generator yard and the chiller yard are locked in by the electrical and piping design
An environmental impact assessment or permit submission that needs predicted levels at community receptors
An operating data centre that has received complaints about generator testing or a night-time hum
Acceptance of the cooling plant and generators from the EPC contractor against the acoustic specification in the contract
A permit condition requiring noise measurement or continuous monitoring, with reporting to the authority or the community

How we help

A SoundPLAN model to ISO 9613-2 of the whole site, from the sound power of the generators, chillers, cooling towers and fans, in normal and test conditions — showing the level at the boundary and at the nearest houses as a contour map.
Options compared on paper — yard position, exhaust orientation, screens, silencers, night-time speed limits — so that decisions are taken while a change is a line on a drawing rather than a seven-figure variation.
Baseline measurement at the community receptors before construction, establishing the background against which the 10 dBA nuisance criterion will be judged for the life of the project.
A generator test regime — time, duration, sequence and load — that complies, with the neighbour-notification letter the BMA now requires.
Boundary measurement during a generator test under real load and with the cooling plant at full duty on the hottest day: the two conditions that decide compliance.
Source ranking with the 128-microphone acoustic camera where several generator sets and chillers share one yard, so that remediation money goes to the machine that actually governs the level.
Investigation of low-frequency hum from transformers and inverters, which can comply in dBA and still disturb the community, using spectral and vibration measurement.
Occupational noise measurement in data halls and plant rooms — a hard-ventilated hall commonly sits at 80–85 dBA, which brings staff into the range where a hearing conservation programme is required.
Continuous Class 1 boundary monitoring stations with a dashboard, alerts before a limit is reached, and monthly reports for the authority and the community, on a monthly fee without buying the instruments.

What you get

A prediction report with contour maps for normal and test conditions, for the permit submission and EIA
An acoustic specification for the EPC and equipment vendors — maximum sound power per unit and target levels at the receivers, written so that it can be verified
Pre-construction baseline report and post-commissioning boundary measurement report to the National Environment Board notifications, with calibration certificates
Generator test regime and the community notification template
Source ranking and remediation options ordered by effect per baht
Monthly continuous-monitoring reports, where monitoring is chosen

Standards applied

National Environment Board Notification No. 15 (B.E. 2540) — Leq 24 h 70 dBA, Lmax 115 dBA · Notification No. 29 (B.E. 2550) and the nuisance-noise notification (B.E. 2565) — 10 dBA criterion · ISO 9613-2 · ISO 1996-1/-2 · ISO 3747 · ISO 11820 · Ministerial Regulation on heat, light and noise B.E. 2559 (staff) · IEC 61672-1 Class 1

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FAQ

What are the noise limits for a data centre in Thailand?

There is no data-centre-specific limit. The general community limits apply — Leq 24 h not above 70 dBA and Lmax not above 115 dBA at the receiver — plus the nuisance criterion of not more than 10 dBA above background. The 70 and 115 figures the BMA cited in its September 2026 data-centre inspections are this set. National data-centre criteria are being drafted; we track them and update the specification the moment they are published.

How do we test generators without complaints?

Test when the background is high, not at night or in the early morning; limit the duration; run sets in sequence rather than together where the system allows; check the exhaust silencers and plant-room louvres; and notify the community in advance as the BMA requires. We measure during a real test to confirm the regime complies.

Why predict beforehand when we could just measure after construction?

Because moving a generator yard after the electrical design is fixed is extremely expensive, and adding screens or silencers later usually runs into space and ventilation constraints. The model shows which layout complies and which needs changing while the change is still a redrawn line.

How loud is the cooling plant?

Large air-cooled chillers and dry coolers have high sound power and run continuously. The maximum occurs on the hottest day with the fans at full speed, which often coincides with the community having its windows open. The night-time nuisance criterion is the one this plant fails most often; night-time fan speed limits and quiet-model selection at the outset are usually cheaper than retrofitting.

Are transformers and inverters a problem too?

Yes, as a low-frequency hum at 50 and 100 Hz, which travels far and can comply in dBA while still disturbing people. We assess it separately with spectral measurement and advise on position and mounting at the design stage.

The EPC contractor has guaranteed the noise level. Do we still need a consultant?

An EPC guarantee is usually a single number with no stated operating condition, measurement position or method. An independent consultant reads what it actually promises, writes a specification that can be verified, and measures after installation while the retention is held. We sell no equipment and have no stake in the EPC.

Do staff in the data hall need a hearing conservation programme?

Hard-ventilated data halls commonly sit at 80–85 dBA and plant rooms higher. Once any employee's 8-hour average reaches 85 dBA the law requires a programme. We measure and write it to the B.E. 2561 notification.

Is continuous monitoring necessary?

It is where the permit requires it, or where the site is near a community with a complaint history. A continuous boundary station gives a provable daily compliance record, warns before a complaint arrives, and answers an allegation with data from that exact time rather than an argument.