Damages awarded for wind turbine noise nuisance as court declines aggravated and exemplary damages claims

The High Court awarded substantial general damages and property devaluation compensation to two sets of plaintiffs who suffered from prolonged and intrusive wind turbine noise (WTN) at their rural homes, finding that the defendant's operation of a wind farm caused a serious nuisance during night and quiet periods. The court ordered €10,000 per year in general damages to one homeowner, €18,500 per year to her former partner (up to his departure from the property), and €7,500 per year to each of the second set of plaintiffs. Additional compensation was awarded for the diminished sale price of one property (€55,000) and a 'stigma' reduction in the value of the ongoing residence (€30,000), reflecting ongoing obligations under the court's abatement order requiring engagement with the wind farm operator. Claims for aggravated and exemplary/punitive damages were refused, as the defendant's behaviour, while unneighbourly and careless, did not meet the threshold for outrageousness. The court clarified that damages for psychiatric injury, relationship breakdown, and ongoing/future accommodation losses were not recoverable as they were not reasonably foreseeable consequences of the nuisance.