HSE Turn off
ural Kansas should be an ideal spot for nature lovers. But visit Marshall County, amid the farms and ranches in the state’s fertile north, and you may be disappointed. With hundreds of new wind turbines sprouting up like Midwestern corn residents have begun grumbling about the blinking red lights that sit near their tops. They may be vital for preventing plane crashes – but the disco-like frequency of the flashes is proving a nightmare for people used to dark, star-filled nights. “One of the greatest things about living in rural Kansas is being able to enjoy the night sky,” complained one resident
R
the lights
Blinking red lights have been a night-time staple of wind farms forever. And though the flashes are important for keeping turbines safe – not least to stop low-flying aircraft from crashing into them – local residents have long been frustrated with the light pollution wind farms can cause. But with the rise of aircraft detection lighting systems, these challenges could soon be a thing of the past. Andrea Valentino talks to Jasper Salzwedel, senior sales manager at Deutsche Windtechnik, to learn more.
in March 2022. “The red blinking lights have taken that away from us.”
Nor are the unfortunate farmers of Marshall County alone. From the Dakotas to Germany, communities the world over have discovered that a turbine’s light systems can cause soul-crushing pollution – especially at night. Not that humans are necessarily the only ones to suffer. Some studies have suggested that the flashing lights on turbines can bewilder and threaten the local wildlife. Expensive to power and frustrating to fix, moreover, the bulbs of traditional models arguably run counter
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World Wind Technology /
www.worldwind-technology.com
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