Laufer Wind has announced the successful demonstration of its Aircraft Detection Sight Solution (ADSS), the first-ever trial against a radar-activated obstruction lighting system on a wind farm in the U.S.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) participated in the trial. The demonstration consisted of Laufer Wind radars deployed around NREL's National Wind Technology Center, controlling lights on an Alstom 3.0MW turbine, a GE 1.5MW turbine, and on a meteorological tower. FAA representatives flew various patterns against the ADSS, observing operation of the system from both the plane and on the ground. The purpose of the evaluation was to test the Laufer Wind ADSS system against a series of performance standards that the FAA has developed to address Aircraft Detection System (ADS) technologies that will minimize the impact of FAA-required obstruction lighting on nearby communities and wildlife yet at the same time maintain a high level of safety for pilots operating aircraft near the obstructions.