This wind farm scandal has got out of hand, they are even fitting red lights on top of the 200ft towers, in the haste to bow down to the foreign invaders the planners forgot that aircraft fly over those hills.

Taken from a leading newspaper today:

The situation can be summed up simply as 'never in the history of public subsidy has so much been given to so few for so little public benefit'," the group concluded.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new...-short-of-bribery.html

What has red lights got to do with subsidies?

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S P Barker BSc PhD MIET

I dont have too much of a problem with wind farms. I quite like the look of them and they are generating a lot of work.
Also if they are removed the landscape goes back to the way it was.
I do some work on the farms and find that a lot of people are drawn to them, rather than being turned away. For example I have seen people drive to them to walk the dog have a picnic etc.
I still remain to be convinced that they are the solution to our energy problem though.

Yes, red lights do not have much to do with subsidies. Was a local issue, which even at night you cannot get rid of the sight of these expensive toys?

Arthur, I am glad that you got some work at wind farms, never thought that they could be easily taken down, and they only last for 20 years, gearbox 10 at the most. I hope that the Government will cut the subsidies and they may come down even sooner. (Private view)

1.3.68 (Taken from an offical site)
In the interests of aviation safety, lights may be required on wind turbine development and is mandatory in all cases where the structure exceeds 150m high. In addition, structures over 91.4m (300ft) are required to be charted on aviation maps. Developers will be required to provide details of the development to the Defence Geographic Centre.

1.3.69 Any large structure is liable to show up on radar, but wind turbines can present a particular problem as they can be interpreted by radar as a moving object, which is only intermittently seen (as the nacelle rotates to face the wind). There is a consultation zone and an advisory zone around every civilian and military air traffic radar but objections may sometimes be raised in respect of developments further afield. Consultation by the developer will also be required in respect of any meteorological radar.
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While there may be jobs at wind farms for maintenance and statutory inspections, like lifts, and pressure but after construction they are not many. Only one Job, see site below.

http://www.sceala.com/phpBB2/irish-forums-25499.html

Regards
jcm

Each turbine requires two maintenance visits per year one minor one major so a 100 turbine site is pretty much a permenant job for two fitters. If its off shore you also have the boat crews.
Siemens for example has a windfarm maintenance section tendering for the maintenance and remedial work.

Yes they do require aircraft avoidance lights the same as some tower lines, offshore ones also require navagational buoys.

What... Red Lights ??? Why ?? :S

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