Wind turbine blade painting process

Should wind turbine blades be painted black?

In this publication synthesis, AWWI summarizes the results from a 2020 study in Norway that investigated the effect of painting one of three blades black on a sample of wind turbines as a strategy to increase the visibility of rotating blades to birds thereby reducing bird collision fatalities at wind energy facilities.

Can Teknos paint a wind turbine blade?

Teknos has developed paints and coatings specially for wind turbine blades. Our turbine blade coating product family consists of a full range of products, from priming to finishing paints, and putties as well as repair solution for rotor blade leading edges.

Why do wind turbine blades have surface coatings?

However, composite materials perform poorly under transverse impact (rain droplets, hail, and solid particles) and also are sensitive to environmental factors. Wind turbine blade manufacturers employ surface coatings to protect the composite structure from exposure to these concerns.

Did black paint make a wind turbine more visible?

The theory goes that the black paint made the blades more visible, especially at the tips, essentially creating dark streaks in the sky that alerted incoming birds to the turbines and gave them time to change course. The results are promising, says Garry George, director of Audubon’s Clean Energy Initiative, but they’re also preliminary.

Can blade painting reduce bird fatalities at wind energy facilities?

This study yielded promising results; however, additional studies should be conducted to determine whether blade painting offers an effective solution for reducing bird fatalities at operational wind energy facilities. The Research Brief was developed with support from NREL and U.S. DOE.

How to protect wind turbine rotor blades?

Fundamentals of surface protection for wind turbine blades Wind turbine rotor blades are protected on the surface by gelcoat or paint. The surface protection is necessary because there will always be pinholes in the composite – the laminate – of which the rotor blades are made.