Wind turbines are a familiar sight today. However, there are still many features that raise questions - for example, why do wind turbines flash so conspicuously. The answer is simple: the lights primarily serve to make the turbines visible to aircraft and helicopters. Especially at night, when the silhouettes of the turbines are difficult to discern against the dark sky, the flashing is essential to avoid collisions. However, the constant nighttime flashing has often been perceived as disruptive by residents, which is why the government introduced a new regulation in 2020. This regulation stipulates that wind turbines should only flash when necessary. Even the warning lights of the Prokon wind farms now only illuminate when aircraft are approaching.
The rhythmic blinking at the top of wind turbines on the nighttime horizon: A familiar sight that by now should be a thing of the past. While all structures - including wind turbines - with a total height of more than 100 meters must be appropriately marked for aviation safety reasons, since the end of 2015 there has been the option to switch off this nighttime blinking - and as of 1st January 2024, the so-called "demand-driven night marking" became mandatory.
The use of obstacle lighting system is made possible by a change in the General Administrative Provision on the Labelling of Aviation Obstacles (AVV). Prokon has signed a supply contract with one of the leading manufacturers of obstacle lighting solutions and is continuously modernising its wind farms. A so-called transponder system is being installed, which detects signals from approaching aircraft or helicopters and then switches on the lighting of the wind turbine. After a defined time, the light goes out again. In this way, the night-time lighting can be reduced by up to 95 percent. Disturbances for people and nature are thus minimised - an important signal to increase the acceptance of wind turbines, especially in the local community.
Prokon makes a lot of effort to ensure that the wind turbines only flash when needed: permits need to be adjusted and all systems gradually retrofitted. The wind farm in Oldendorf near Itzehoe is the first Prokon wind farm to be equipped with the new system. The continuous improvement and adjustment of these systems is proof of the commitment to establish wind energy not only as a sustainable but also user-friendly energy source.
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