North American Windpower: California Enacts New Met-Tower Rules

California Enacts New Met-Tower Rules

by NAW Staff on Wednesday 29 August 2012

California Gov. Edmund Brown has signed into law legislation that requires meteorological towers to be marked in specific ways.

Under the new law, met towers between 50 and 200 feet tall must be marked as follows:

The full length of the met tower shall be painted with seven equal, alternating bands of aviation orange and white, beginning with orange at the top of the tower and ending with orange at the bottom of the marked portion of the tower;
Two marker balls shall be attached to and evenly spaced on each of the outside guy wires;
The area surrounding each point where a guy wire is anchored to the ground shall have a contrasting appearance with any surrounding vegetation; if the adjacent land is grazed, the area surrounding the anchor point (i.e., an area not less than 64 square feet whose outer boundary is at least four feet from the anchor point) shall be fenced.
One or more seven-foot safety sleeves shall be placed at each anchor point and shall extend from the anchor point along each guy wire attached to the anchor point; and
A red flashing obstruction light shall be affixed to the highest point on the tower and operate continuously, or at a minimum, when the northern sky illuminance reaching a vertical surface falls below 35 foot-candles.

Latest Top Stories

Wind Consortium Deploys Nacelle-Mounted LIDAR At Offshore Site In Irish Sea

In an important development for performance verification for offshore wind sites, a group of companies have deployed a nacelle-mounted LIDAR at DONG Energy's 367 MW Walney Wind Farm.

As U.S. DOJ Investigates, Duke Works Adaptive Management Plan

With previous golden eagle fatalities reported at two company-owned wind farms in Wyoming, Duke Energy Renewables is going to great lengths to protect raptors.

DOE To Recast Landmark 20% Wind Energy Report; Study Looks Back, Ahead

The U.S. Department of Energy will update its 20% Wind Energy By 2030 report, which indicated increased levels of wind penetration for the U.S. is not only possible but feasible.

Wind Energy Procurement Top Of Mind For Big-Name Companies

With greater frequency, top-tier companies are discovering the economic and environmental power of wind energy and upping their investments in the resource.

WINDPOWER Panelists Issue A Call To Arms: Protect RPS Mandates

Votes on several legislative bills concerning state renewable portfolio standards (RPS) are nearing. How can you help protect and maintain these development drivers?