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Would you pay for quiet living?
"My upstairs neighbor drags chairs around every night, the noise is deafening, it's driving me crazy." "Every night when I try to sleep, I hear the dripping of water and the hum of machinery, it keeps me awake." "When the mom next door scolds her child while helping with homework, I get scolded too; it's a real childhood trauma."... Many people have likely experienced this problem of poor sound insulation and noise pollution from neighbors. Especially as people's living standards improve, residents' demands for a better acoustic environment are also increasing, making sound insulation and noise reduction a growing pain point in residential quality.
Residential buildings are important places for people to live, rest, and sleep. The quality of their acoustic environment not only affects the comfort of living but also concerns the physical and mental health of residents. However, on the one hand, in the past, due to considerations of construction economic costs, the requirements for residential acoustic environment indicators were relatively low. In addition, developers and design units had limited understanding of sound insulation and noise reduction, resulting in a long-standing low quality of residential acoustic environment in my country. On the other hand, my country's noise and vibration control industry market is still in its early stages of development. The technical and market hotspots are still concentrated in fields such as high-speed railways and urban rail transit, while the popularization and application of sound insulation and noise reduction technologies and products in social life, especially in residential buildings, are still insufficient.
However, with the implementation and promotion of the "Noise Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People's Republic of China" (hereinafter referred to as the new "Noise Law"), local supervision has increased, and the demand for small and medium-sized environmental protection projects and functional soundproof window products has shown an upward trend. The acoustic environment of residential buildings has received more attention and importance. To implement the requirements of the new "Noise Law" for creating quiet areas, the "Quiet Residential Building Evaluation Standard" came into effect on September 15th this year. This standard aims to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the acoustic environment of residential buildings and further improve the external and internal acoustic environment levels of residences.
It can be predicted that in the future, the quality of the residential acoustic environment will no longer be a high standard requirement for residents, but will become one of the basic standards for measuring the quality of housing, and an important factor influencing homebuyers' decisions. Residents need a quiet living environment, and noise pollution can no longer be ignored; residential sound insulation will become increasingly common. This will bring about a booming opportunity for the noise-reducing building materials market.
Consumers are more willing to pay for quiet homes.
Mr. Ma, who lives in Tianhe District, Guangzhou, has flexible working hours and often works day and night. He lives in an old faculty dormitory that is nearly 20 years old. In the past, he was often disturbed by vehicles downstairs and birds chirping in the community. His work flow was often interrupted at night, and he could not fall asleep during the day, which seriously affected his normal work and life.
At the beginning of this year, Mr. Ma spent 40,000 to 50,000 yuan to replace all the windows in his home with thermally broken aluminum windows, which greatly reduced noise. Data shows that thermally broken aluminum windows use insulated aluminum profiles and double-glazed glass, offering energy saving, sound insulation, noise reduction, dustproofing, and waterproofing. They achieve a sound insulation level of over 29 decibels and have excellent water tightness and air tightness, meeting the national A1 class window standard. With better performance comes a higher price; generally, thermally broken aluminum windows are more than 50% more expensive than ordinary aluminum windows.
"Now I can work late into the night without any outside noise, and after dropping my daughter off at school in the morning, I can finally catch up on some sleep," Mr. Ma said happily.
The World Health Organization (WHO) report, "The Burden of Disease Caused by Noise Pollution," shows that noise pollution not only causes irritability and poor sleep, but can also trigger or exacerbate diseases such as heart disease, learning disabilities, and tinnitus, thereby shortening lifespan.
In urban life, the quality of the living environment has become an increasingly important focus for people. Noise pollution, as a major hidden danger affecting the quality of residents' daily lives, has received widespread attention. Complaints about poor sound insulation in houses are rampant on various social media platforms. In daily life, tensions between neighbors caused by noise interference occur frequently, and sometimes, the escalation of conflicts even leads to criminal offenses.
"The small factory next door is too noisy. They make noise every night until the early hours of the morning. How can anyone get any sleep?" Recently, Ms. Zhang, who lives in Huangqi, Nanhai District, Foshan, sent a letter to the Foshan Public Security Bureau's mailbox for help, complaining that a small factory near her home often makes noise at night, which seriously affects the rest of the surrounding residents.
On November 22nd of this year, the Chengdu High-tech Zone People's Court publicly concluded a case of intentional injury: Unable to tolerate the noise from their upstairs neighbor, the downstairs resident installed a "noise-shaking device" to retaliate. The upstairs resident then violently broke down the door, causing minor injuries (Level II) to the downstairs resident. After trial, the court sentenced the upstairs resident to five months of detention for intentional injury.
In fact, according to the "China Noise Pollution Prevention and Control Report 2023," in 2022, cities at the prefecture level and above across the country received approximately 4.503 million noise complaints, an increase of 493,000 cases year-on-year. In terms of complaint type, social noise complaints were the most numerous, accounting for approximately 3.038 million cases (67.5%), a year-on-year increase of 9.6%; construction noise was the second most common, with approximately 1.13 million cases (25.1%), a year-on-year decrease of 8.3%. Currently, noise pollution, along with water pollution, air pollution, and waste pollution, is considered one of the four major environmental problems worldwide.
To reduce noise pollution, consumers are increasingly willing to pay for noise reduction products. The "China Household Noise Pollution and Soundproof Windows and Doors Consumption Trend Report" shows that high-net-worth individuals, particularly those born in the 1980s and 1990s, in first- and second-tier cities have extremely high demands for quality of life, making a comfortable acoustic environment a necessity. Soundproof windows and doors have become a basic requirement for home renovations. Specifically, over 60% of respondents plan to renovate their windows and doors, with a high demand for soundproofing windows and doors in bedrooms, balconies, and living rooms. Soundproof windows and doors remain a savior for consumers seeking noise reduction, with nearly 90% of respondents willing to pay for such products. It is noteworthy that today's consumers are pursuing higher quality and more advanced soundproof windows and doors. Safety, sound insulation, heat insulation, and waterproofing are among the key performance indicators for windows and doors.
The new Noise Reduction Law brings new opportunities to a multi-billion dollar market.
Noise reduction is a specialized field, and the industry has a professional term called "noise and vibration control," which aims to reduce or control the propagation, generation, or impact of noise and vibration. Furthermore, noise reduction is generally considered a comprehensive field, with products widely used in industrial production, transportation, and daily life.
According to incomplete statistics, the output value of my country's noise and vibration control industry was approximately 11.6 billion yuan in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 0.9%. Among them, the proportion of output value for noise and vibration control materials continued to increase, while the proportion for noise and vibration control equipment declined due to factors such as technological maturity. In 2022, the output value of domestic noise and vibration control equipment accounted for approximately 44.1%. With the formal implementation of the new "Noise Law," local environmental protection systems have intensified their efforts to address noise pollution, which has stimulated the recovery of the noise and vibration control market to some extent.
The report also shows that in 2023, with the release and implementation of the "14th Five-Year Action Plan for Noise Pollution Prevention and Control", the relevant requirements of the new "Noise Law" will be further implemented, the supervision and management will be further strengthened, the whole society will pay more attention to noise and vibration issues, and my country's noise and vibration control industry will usher in a new period of development.
In the noise and vibration control market, the rail transit application market is the largest, and the most mature application is vibration reduction and noise reduction in rail transit, followed by the social life sector. Data from third-party consulting firms shows that the noise and vibration control industry currently accounts for over 60% of the domestic transportation sector's output value, reaching 65.5% in 2022, followed by the social life sector at 17.2%.
Although the social life sector accounts for a small percentage, it receives the most attention because it is closely related to people's lives. In particular, as people's living standards continue to improve, residents' requirements for the sound environment are also increasing, and sound insulation and noise reduction are becoming one of the pain points of housing quality.
The new Noise Reduction Law classifies residential buildings (mainly housing) as noise-sensitive buildings that need to be kept quiet, and puts forward highly operable closed-loop management requirements for developers, based on sound insulation and noise reduction standards, with clear legal responsibilities. This will have a profound impact on the protection of the acoustic environment of residential buildings.
To better address noise pollution and create a more comfortable and healthy living environment, businesses are seizing opportunities to innovate. For example, Shenzhen Losai Acoustics Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Losai Acoustics"), dedicated to providing "innovative noise and vibration solutions," has launched soundproof curtains that can reduce sound levels by several decibels. "Some people want to improve their sound insulation, but it's inconvenient to remove existing doors and windows. Adding another door or window is expensive and takes up space, so we came up with a third solution," Liu Tao, founder of Losai Acoustics, told the Southern Daily reporter. "It means that without making any changes to the existing doors and windows, you can simply draw the curtains when you sleep, which can reduce the noise level by several decibels. The effect is immediate, and the cost is low, probably only a few hundred or a thousand yuan."
In particular, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is an important component of urban construction in China today, and vibration issues in rail transit have always been a challenge in its construction. Over the years, industry experts have conducted extensive research and practice in vibration control technology and have initially mastered mature solutions.
For example, Vanke Sky City in Qingpu, Shanghai, took into full consideration indicators such as noise, temperature, and air quality during its initial planning and construction. Considering the unavoidable noise problem of subway-adjacent developments, Vanke Sky City arranged the buildings above the depot according to the characteristics of each function, such as the rolling noise of train wheels and the impact on the tracks. Noise reduction and vibration reduction measures were prioritized in the overall layout, noise source control, and sound barrier installation to minimize the noise (vibration) impact of the subway parking lot on the residential development.
Noise reduction standards need improvement, and noise reduction products need to be more widely adopted.
Despite the increasing emphasis on sound insulation and noise reduction in homes due to consumption upgrades and the increasingly stringent national policies on noise pollution control, which have created a vast development space for the sound insulation sector, it is undeniable that the current noise reduction market still faces many challenges.
On the one hand, noise reduction standards need to be improved and perfected. According to my country's Civil Building Sound Insulation Design Code (GB50118-2010), the allowable noise level in bedrooms during the day is ≤45 dB and at night is ≤37 dB. Compared with the standards of other developed countries, this standard still has a significant gap. For example, the design guidelines for indoor noise in residential buildings in the British standard BS 8233 are: living room, 30 dB(A)-40 dB(A), bedroom at night: 30 dB(A)-35 dB(A).
However, industry standards are constantly being introduced to improve the acoustic environment of residential buildings, both externally and internally, and to maintain a harmonious and peaceful living environment for residents. For example, the "Evaluation Standard for Healthy Housing" stipulates that the sound level should not exceed 35 decibels, while the latest standard in 2022 sets the limit at 30 decibels. The "Evaluation Standard for Quiet Housing," approved by the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design and compiled by the China Academy of Building Research Co., Ltd., China Green Development Investment Group Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Sound Doctor Acoustics Technology Co., Ltd., and other organizations, came into effect on September 15, 2023, providing an evaluation system for the acoustic performance of residential buildings.
On the other hand, the building noise reduction market offers a wide variety of products, but the quality varies greatly. Consumers often lack a thorough understanding of the specific performance of these products, potentially leading them to pay high prices for products with low cost-effectiveness. "The underlying reason for this problem is the dynamic nature of the domestic market. Companies launch new products rapidly, preventing homeowners and acoustic design firms from fully understanding the products and making optimal choices," Chen Rui, the China representative of the German company Kleiberg, a recognized innovator and expert in rubber materials, told the Southern Daily reporter.
He further pointed out that the German market primarily features mature products that have been used for many years. Consumers are very familiar with the performance of various products, and the market's demand for product types and performance is relatively stable. Through preliminary surveys and testing, the most cost-effective products can be selected based on specific project needs, thereby optimizing both noise reduction performance and product cost.
Some consumers even complained that they spent money on soundproofing but it didn't work. For example, a user on Zhihu asked: "Why is soundproofing ineffective?" Liu Tao pointed out, "Building soundproofing is a holistic solution; it's a systemic project, what we call the 'barrel effect.' It's not just about a single element like doors, windows, or floors. A holistic concept is crucial." This explains why some consumers may install excellent door and window systems, but noise from neighbors above, below, and to the sides becomes even more pronounced, still failing to achieve the desired soundproofing effect. "Building soundproofing is a systemic concept, and it's a matter of details determining success or failure. If one aspect is poorly done, the entire soundproofing may fail."
As the renowned architect Louis Kahn once said, quiet and light together compose the "soul of the environment." Quietness brings comfort and health, helping people concentrate, while noise and clamor are irritating and bothersome. The new Noise Reduction Law and the ever-increasing demand for healthy living have set new guidelines for sound insulation and noise reduction in residential buildings. Developers and designers must adopt practical and feasible technical measures to reduce noise and improve sound insulation, meeting or exceeding national and local standards to provide a fundamental guarantee of health for the most basic and precious human needs-quiet sleep, rest, and recuperation.
This article was forwarded from: Beijing Daily