LED Lighting for Offshore Wind Farms | The Raytec SPARTAN Lighting Range

LED Lighting

Raytec are world leaders in LED lighting for hazardous area environments – the Raytec SPARTAN range of hazardous area ATEX certified lighting is globally certified Ex LED lighting, approved for all ATEX and IEC Ex Zone 1 and Zone 2 hazardous area environments, including UL /CSA C1D2 installations.

In this Application Focus, we explore the lighting requirements for offshore wind farms and identify some of the key features to consider when specifying luminaires for these types of environments.

LED Lighting Requirements for Offshore Wind Farms

An offshore wind farm can be defined as a cluster of wind turbines constructed in a body of water. The turbines harvest wind energy to generate electricity and benefit from the high wind speeds of their offshore location.

However, the nature of an offshore location provides a challenging environment when specifying lighting. Given the continuous exposure to marine conditions, such as high wind speeds and a saline environment, a high-quality and durable lighting system, capable of withstanding these elements, is critical.

Typical Areas Requiring LED Lighting

Jacket Base Of The Turbine

A turbine sits on a supporting structure called a Jacket Base. The jacket sits above the waterline, as well as being anchored to the seabed, giving the turbine the foundation it needs to withstand the harsh marine environment and dynamic loads.

Lighting, particularly LED lighting, is required to ensure safe working conditions when accessing and departing the turbine, via a crew transfer vessel, where the jacket structure is the main access point. Installing lighting here is also beneficial for routine maintenance and inspection of the area around the ‘splash zone’, where corrosion occurs due to the meeting of the waves and air.

Interior Of The Turbine

Lighting is required inside the turbine for the safety of workers when they perform routine maintenance procedures from within the tower. In many cases ‘Emergency Lighting’, such as the Raytec SPARTAN Intelligent Emergency, is also needed to maintain safety in the event of a power outage.

Access Area Lighting

It is a necessity for heavy-duty industrial lighting to be installed at the crew access point to the turbine, when disembarking the crew transfer vessels. This area sits above the supportive structure and is accessed via a bridge from the crew transfer vessels. Therefore, safety requirements dictate that high-quality industrial lighting is needed to make sure these areas are well lit.

All of these areas require the use of a heavy-duty lighting fitting, such as lighting from the Raytec SPARTAN range, to withstand the challenges of the offshore environment. The remainder of this article will explore the key features to consider when specifying a luminaire for an offshore wind farm.

Read more and the full article here.