Albemarle County, VA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Noise Limits (2026)

Sec. 65(D) singles out data center generators for their own noise and scheduling controls. , closing off nights, weekends, and early mornings to generator noise entirely. Each generator must sit inside a level 3 sound enclosure, or an equivalent enclosure, engineered to hold sound to no more than 70 dBA measured 23 feet from the unit. 18's maximum sound levels measured at every lot line, so a facility has to clear both the 23-foot generator test and the property-line noise ceiling that applies countywide. These generator standards sit inside the same section that sets data center setbacks and utility requirements, and subsections (A)(1) and (B)(1) of Sec.

65 cannot be waived or modified by special exception, underscoring how firmly the county treats the accessory-use and public-utility rules as non-negotiable even where other data center standards allow flexibility. maintenance window, or one that cannot be shown to meet the 70 dBA-at-23-feet enclosure standard, is enforced the same way as any other zoning matter, through inspection and complaint response by the Zoning Administrator's office.