Development of Obstruction Lighting Standards for Wind Turbine Farms.

摘要

The U.S. Department of Energy has mandated that renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines, will provide 5 percent of the nation's electricity by the year 2020. As a result, wind turbine farms are sprouting all over the USA; farms having over 200 turbines spread over mountain ranges up to 20 miles long are not uncommon. Standing at heights up to 442 feet, these structures are considered obstructions to air navigation. As such, these obstructions must be illuminated so the aircraft can easily identify and avoid them, while at the same time, minimizing any impact of the illumination on surrounding communities. The Federal Aviation Administration investigated 11 wind turbine sites, each containing numerous turbines, to evaluate the existing lighting installations, their appearance from the air in day- and nighttime, and how these lights were affecting the surrounding communities. Each investigation included documentation flights, still and video photographs, and interviews with both the local wind turbine developer and the local community.