OCAS Inc. received a contract award from Renewable Energy Systems Canada (RES Canada) Construction LP to provide their Wind Turbine Obstacle Collision Avoidance System (OCAS) at the Talbot Wind Energy Project near Chatham, Ontario.
RES Canada is the developer, engineering, procurement and construction
(EPC) contractor and partial owner of the Talbot Wind Energy Project.
The 98.9MW Talbot wind farm consists of 43 Siemens turbines. The OCAS
solution utilizes patented radar technology mounted on the turbine tower
to detect approaching aircraft and activates the turbine strobe lights
for a primary visual warning as required by Transport Canada. This keeps
the lights off at all times unless an aircraft approaches the wind
turbines. If the aircraft does not take measures to avoid the turbines, a
secondary audio warning is delivered to the pilot's VHF radio. By
keeping the system off until an aircraft is detected, OCAS leaves skies
free from light pollution, decreasing public annoyance, lowering the
environmental impact of the wind project while increasing safety for the
aviation community. The OCAS solution is the first and only Transport
Canada and Federal Aviation Administration tested and approved Aircraft
Detection System (ADS) or Audio Visual Warning System (AVWS) for use in
Canada and the USA.