PNE has developed a system for making wind turbines detectable by aircraft at night, while minimising light pollution from wind farms.
The system has been deployed at the Kuhrstedt-Alfstedt wind farm in Lower Saxony.
The turbine-agnostic technology is now “ready-to-use for on-demand night-time marking”, according to PNE, having obtained all the necessary approvals.
Kuhrstedt-Alfstedt comprises 13 turbines supplied by both Siemens and Senvion and PNE has been operating the plant since 2017.
As part of the system’s development the operator voluntarily agreed to convert the night-time marking of the wind power turbines so that the turbines’ lights only come on when an aircraft or airborne object is in the immediate vicinity of the wind farm.
The lighting is switched on via a signal for the time that the aircraft passes overhead and has been approved by Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS).
PNE chief executive Markus Lesser said: “PNE develops clean energy solutions, and this also includes considering and minimising light emissions from obstruction lighting.
“We are thus making a contribution to greater acceptance of wind energy.”
To develop the system PNE worked with Quantec Sensors, based in Isernhagen, Germany.
Together, they now operate the system for the detection of aircraft in the district of Cuxhaven, which was one of the first to receive approval by DFS.
The detection system is located in the Wollingst district of the municipality of Beverstedt.
The lattice tower and the detection system were installed in October 2018, followed by programming and testing.
This phase paved the way for the integration of the Kuhrstedt-Alfstedt wind farm into the system, which can also connect further wind farms, due to its detection radius of 18km.