Press Release: Light:Guard completes ADLS integration on existing wind turbines

Light:Guard GmbH has equipped all commissioned existing wind turbines with Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems (ADLS). The use of ADLS on wind turbines is required by the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) in Germany. The deadline for implementation for wind farm operators expires at the end of this year, after which they face penalties. Light:Guard can thus create economic security for its customers.

Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) is a technology that reduces the blinking of wind turbines to a minimum. Light:Guard is one of the leading providers in this field. This works by the ADLS monitoring the airspace around a wind farm. Only when an aircraft is in the vicinity, the obstacle lights of the turbines are activated. This minimizes the impact of wind power through light emissions on the environment.

Existing turbines are those that have already been built. Those equipped by Light:Guard meet the requirements of the General Administrative Regulation for the Marking of Aviation Obstacles (AVV). This requires the complete installation and certification of the ADL systems in the wind farms. The certificate is proof of the site-specific suitability by the manufacturer or the type examination authority.

The Light:Guard portfolio covers approximately 4,000 existing turbines from all manufacturers. Of these, around 500 are still supplied with ADLS signals via radar, while the rest are supplied by the Germany-wide transponder receiver network. The turbines are spread across approximately 750 wind farms in all federal states. Of these, around 500 are already turned dark, and the number is rising sharply.

“For some parks, we are still missing the input from the respective state aviation authority to turn them dark, and there is currently a lot of demand,” explains Light:Guard managing director Willi Lehmann. ”Other wind farms still have their own open points. Except for special cases, it is only a matter of processing by the authorities. But here, too, we are now coming to a very quick conclusion after some long-lasting coordination.”

Meanwhile, there is still some uncertainty in the industry regarding the penalty described in the EEG. At present, it is not yet defined in detail at which point wind turbines are considered to be equipped with an ADLS. The working group on labeling of the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) is therefore currently still working on a more precise definition. This should serve as an interpretation aid for grid operators. Willi Lehmann emphasizes: “With installation, site-specific verification and submission of the necessary documents, the wind farm operator should have fulfilled their obligation.”

“Since the introduction of the ADLS obligation in Germany in 2020, we have experienced turbulent times. The legislator had high expectations, but the targets were often unattainable. Therefore, the deadline for the obligation had to be postponed several times,” explains Felix Weiss, sales manager at Light:Guard GmbH. “This was often stressful for both park operators and ADLS providers. We would like to express our sincere thanks to our customers and partners for their trust and understanding. For 2025, we have set ourselves the goal of standardizing the processes with the system manufacturers. The ADLS equipment should run smoothly in new systems. Thanks to the learning curve of the last few years, we can now equip existing and new systems in record time. Four weeks between receipt of the order and completed installation and certification are possible in areas with high coverage by our system. For parks that currently have no ADL system installed or certified, we offer short-term solutions.”

“The most important thing for us is to protect our customers and clients from the threat of penalties,” says Eric Schacht, Head of Technical Support and Service at Light:Guard GmbH. “I am very proud of our team, which has worked tirelessly on installation, commissioning, measurements and documentation. Next, we will focus on continuously improving the quality of our systems. The goal is to prove functionality and to clearly document the claim for a high light-out time. We provide this information to both customers and authorities.”