Berkeley sets its noise limit by the zone of the property receiving the sound, not the source. A West Berkeley data center's cooling and generators may not exceed 55 dBA daytime and 45 dBA nighttime at a neighboring home, or 70 dBA at another industrial parcel.
Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 13.40 (Community Noise), Section 13.40.050, fixes exterior limits by the receiving property's zoning district. Under Table 13.40-1 the limits are 55 dBA daytime (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) and 45 dBA nighttime (10 p.m.-7 a.m.) for R-1 and R-2 residential, 60/55 dBA for R-3 and above, 65/60 dBA for commercial, and 70 dBA anytime for industry. Because the standard follows the receiving zone, a data center in an MU-LI or M district that abuts homes is held to the 55/45 residential limit at that property line. Levels may exceed the standard only briefly: plus 5 dBA for 15 minutes, plus 10 for 5 minutes, plus 15 for 1 minute per hour.
Cooling towers, chillers, or generator testing that push sound past the Chapter 13.40 limit at the receiving property line is a noise disturbance; the City can require mitigation and abatement, and unmitigated noise can add conditions to a Use Permit.
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