Solar Glare Assessment for Salzburg Airport

Two PV plants, planned on the roof of a retailer near Salzburg Airport needed a Solar Glare Assessment. The purpose of the glint and glare study was to verify the dazzling effect in the critical take-off and landing phase. The solar plants with a planned size of 200kWp each, have a non-negligible glass surface area which point in the direction of the airport. While for immission safeguarding of neighbors the glare duration is a decisive factor, in this case the emphasis lies on the general potential of dazzling as well as on the angles between glaring and line of vision of pilots (i.e. the heading of the airplane).

According §94 of the Austrian Air-traffic Law, constructions which have the potential to produce optical disturbances, can only be built with a special permit of authorities. In each case a specific assessment has to be done to verivy if the safety of air-traffic is endangered.

Austrian guideline OVE R11-3 (Glaring from Photovoltaic Installations) determines that installations, which lie inside as well as outside the safety and protection zones of airports are to be considered. The assessment report has to determine all sections, that could be impacted by a glaring hazard, as well as azimuth and horizontal angles of the glare. Dazzling of pilots during take-off or landing, dazzling of the ground traffic, glaring surfaces that could be mixed up with airport navigation lights or which pose a threat to air-traffic control equipment or equipment of air surveillance shall not be permitted.

Read more about the details of glare simulation