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Darkness over Huselitz: Wind turbines without night lights cause excitement!
From January 1, 2025, wind turbines in Stendal must be equipped with demand-controlled nighttime markings to reduce light pollution.
Darkness over Huselitz: Wind turbines without night lights cause excitement!
The energy transition is in full swing and this means that wind turbines in Germany are making an important contribution to electricity generation. From January 1, 2025, all wind turbines (WEA) must be equipped with demand-controlled night markings (BNK). This regulation is set out in the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) 2023 and also affects existing systems that were put into operation after December 31, 2005, such as MDR reported.
The BNK brings with it a significant change: the warning lights of the wind turbines, which previously flashed continuously in the dark, are now controlled as needed. They go off about 30 to 40 minutes after sunset and only activate when a plane or helicopter approaches within about four kilometers. As a result, the lights are unlit in most cases, 97 percent of the time. As in further reports leka-mv As can be read, these systems use radar or transponder-based technologies to detect flying objects.
Surprise in Huselitz
The changes came as a surprise to some residents, such as in Huselitz. A celebration took place there on October 18th and many were irritated by the sudden darkness as they were not informed about the commissioning of the new night markings MDR reported. While local mayor Hans Radtke points out that the flashing of the lights is not the main problem, but rather the noise nuisance from the rotors, the residents' need for better communication is evident.
The conversion to the BNK required a costly six-figure investment for the operating company ETE in Stendal. However, this change is not entirely positive, as there are nationwide protests against red warning lights, particularly in relation to light pollution. According to a study by the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, the population supports needs-based lighting, not least to minimize the impact on wildlife.
Legal framework
However, the new legal requirements also give cause for concern. Operators who violate the legal obligation must expect high penalties. For every month in which a wind turbine is operated without the prescribed BNK, payments of 10 euros per kW of installed power are due to the network operator leka-mv summarizes. In some federal states, such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, operators have long been obliged to equip their systems with automatic lighting.
The introduction of the BNK has already been postponed several times due to certification problems and a lack of market supply. The new regulation places demands on operators and could also have an impact on future permits for wind turbines. Exceptions are theoretically possible if fewer than five new wind turbines are built, as specified in the regulations.
The coming months will show how well the BNK can be implemented and whether residents and operators can cope with the new regulations. In any case, wind energy remains a central part of the energy transition, and it looks like there will be a lot of movement around these technologies in the future.