PSEG West Orange Switching Substation West Orange NJ6524

Acoustical Evaluation of Station Upgrades PSE&G West Orange Switching Station, West Orange, NJ 5 June 2024 Page 7 EXISTING SOUND EMISSIONS Experience indicates that transformer noise is typically characterized by “hum” at certain harmonics of the 60 Hz line frequency, typically 120 and 240 Hz, as well as broadband cooling fan noise that affects the mid-frequency ranges typified by the 500 and 1,000 Hz octave bands. Transformer hum is often spatially non-uniform so that levels can differ significantly with angular position around the transformer. These details are of interest when surveying transformer sound. A daytime site visit was made to the site by OAA Senior Engineer Michael Conaway, P.E. in order to become familiar with existing conditions on-site and off-site, to survey sound emitted by individual noise sources of interest, and to measure existing site sound emissions from the switching station. The daytime site visit and sound survey were carried out on 30 April 2024. The daytime survey included 180 individual octave band spectra gathered on-site at strategically selected locations, most close to equipment, that were useful for calibrating the acoustical model of site sound emissions. These results are discussed in a subsequent section. Weather conditions during the survey were conducive to measurements, which included cloudy skies, a temperature of 58˚F, and winds of 2-to-6 mph. The acoustical measurement system used for the survey is described in the Appendix. The existing on-site transformers are served by either pedestal or integral cooling fans. All cooling fans for these pieces of equipment were forced ON during the sound survey with the exception of T1; the T1 pedestal cooling fans were unable to be operated. The HVAC units for the control houses are thermostatically controlled, and hence, were not able to be forced ON. These units operated as expected for this season. The purpose of having transformer fans ON is to evaluate conditions with the site contributing the highest sound emissions to the extent feasible. An initial review of results from the daytime sound survey indicated that site sound at the boundaries of the site did not exceed 50 dB(A). However, there was some influence of measured sound levels by ambient sound in the area, such as noise from traffic flow on nearby roads. To evaluate existing site sound emissions at inaccessible

(A). However, there was some influence of measured sound levels by ambient sound in the area, such as noise from traffic flow on nearby roads. To evaluate existing site sound emissions at inaccessible locations of reception, as well as to examine future sound emissions after site improvements, an acoustical model was developed. This is discussed in the next section.