Overview
- The wind farm’s red obstacle lights now run on an Aircraft Detection Lighting System that keeps them off at night unless nearby air traffic is detected.
- Officials say the change reduces light pollution while preserving aviation safety by activating the warning beacons only when needed.
- Eurus Energy says the system listens for aircraft transponders, triggers within roughly 7 kilometers at altitudes below about 600 meters, and ignores birds.
- Operators expect a tuning period that may cause more frequent activations and occasional white flashes, with a fail-safe that reverts the lights to constant-on if the system faults.
- Eurus Energy and RWE paid for the retrofit with support from a joint subsidy from the province and the national government, as RTV Noord reports about 40% subsidy and costs in the several-hundred-thousand-euro range, and the province has a €610,000 fund to help other parks adopt similar systems this year.