What Are Obstruction Lights in The Wind Industry?

One of the major and important technological advances in the wind industry is the use of obstruction lights. An obstruction light is a type of light specifically designed to help with navigation as they illuminate tall buildings, structures, and any other object in a position that can interfere with air traffic. In the wind industry, the obstruction lights are purposefully to prevent air traffic accidents by guiding the pilots to avoid potential dangers.

How Does Obstruction Lights Work?

The wind industry depends so much on the obstruction lights, given that the turbines are always raised high to harvest enough wind, which might cause air traffic accidents. During poor weather, which might cause poor visibility, an obstruction lighting system plays a vital role at night as it ensures that tall structures are safely visible, especially to the aviation team. Smart obstruction lighting solutions with the advancement of technology have been created to ensure the optimum safety of wind turbines. The most popular and sought-after obstruction light is LED system.

Since the functionality of obstruction lights depends on the lighting system, creative engineers use various lighting features to ensure that the gadget serves its purpose. The gadget features a compact flash head whose aim is to help in reducing the wind load on fixed obstructions like the ones on the wind turbines. The series of lights in the system is set to operate at just 20W, which is a series of lights offering the lowest power consumption to save energy and reduce operating costs. The obstruction lights are also designed with vibration-resistant lights to help reduce the impact of wind shear, given that it is usually fixed at high altitudes.

The lighting system used usually differ, and they come in different versions. For instance, obstruction lights have a steady burn, and those outfitted with controller flashlights are set to beep at a given interval. If your beacon is erected in a populated area, you should choose obstruction light that uses flash to avoid light population.

When purchasing or choosing the right obstruction lights that can work effectively in the wind industry, there are various factors that you must put into consideration. Even though the lights play a significant role in ensuring safety, you should also consider the cost- effectiveness of the system you use as an operator. Pick an obstruction light that would minimize the visual impact on the environment. Since these lights are always fixed in open structures and high-rise areas, you should choose the ones that can withstand harsh conditions.

When choosing an obstruction lighting system, you should use LED instead of incandescent lighting. The reason for choosing the LED instead of the incandescent lighting is because its beacons can run on 24 to 48 Vdc; hence the conduit will not be necessary. On top of that, the LED system makes the installation process easy as the lights mount on an existing bolt- hole pattern. The lights provided by LED are highly efficient as they use less energy compared to incandescent fixtures.

Obstruction lights play a significant role in the wind industry by helping mostly pilots to navigate and avoid air traffic accidents. There are different versions based on the engineers’ preferences or the beacon’s location regarding the lighting system. There are obstruction lights that have a steady light burn, while those that use flashlights set at intervals to avoid light pollution.