Smart lighting for Oostzeedijk wind farm

A test flight was conducted at Wind Farm Oostzeedijk to set up the new lighting system on the wind turbines. Our colleague Tijs Boorsma was present during this. This test is necessary to officially use the Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS). This system ensures that the lighting only comes on if there really is an aircraft in the vicinity.

Lighting only when necessary

Wind turbines taller than 150 meters must be visible to aircraft. Therefore, they are normally equipped with red lights at night. But that lighting can be a nuisance to nearby residents.

With the new ADLS system, that changes. The lights come on only when an aircraft is nearby. This is safer for air traffic and more pleasant for people living in the area.

“During the test, we saw from a 4-person aircraft exactly how the ADLS system responded. It’s great to see that this technique works well – and nice that we can use it to relieve local residents,” says Tijs Boorsma, project officer at GreenTrust.

Oostzeedijk wind farm: innovation in practice

The smart lighting is one of the measures that shows that GreenTrust not only complies with the rules, but actively thinks along with the environment. Oostzeedijk Wind Farm is also a special project in other respects:

  • Smart grid use: the wind farm and fish farmer Kingfish together use a closed distribution system. This reduces the load on the power grid.
  • Circular construction: parts of the old wind farm have been given a second life. For example, the debris from the old foundations was reused and the old turbines were repurposed elsewhere in Europe.
  • Larger turbines thanks to cooperation: by working well with local parties, larger turbines could be installed, providing more renewable energy.

Reliable and durable

At GreenTrust, we think beyond technology and regulations. We want to develop projects that contribute to a sustainable future, with as little disruption to the environment as possible. The detection system at Oostzeedijk is a great example of this. Together with our partners, we continue to work on practical innovations that make a difference.