Following up on its ‘avian monitoring on the radar’ article in the last edition of PES Wind, DeTect makes a welcome return with an introduction to Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems. How is the technology being used to monitor airspace around wind farms while reducing light pollution?
An Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) is a sensor-based system that monitors the airspace around a wind farm, activating the obstruction lights only when aircraft are within a delineated buffer zone. ADLS technology originated from the ‘Dark Sky’ movement in the 1950s, when astronomers were concerned that nocturnal skyglow from urban areas was blotting out stars. In 1988, the International Dark-Sky Association focused on ‘excessive use of artificial light’ in remote areas. The use of ADLS today at wind farms is primarily being driven by nearby residents objecting to the constant flashing of the lights on turbines at night.
