This VDE application guide has been prepared under the responsibility of the project group "Maßnahmen zum Vogelschutz an Mittelspannungsfreileitungen" (Technical measures for bird safety on medium-voltage power lines) of the Forum Network Technology / Network Opertion within VDE (FNN), which has been founded by the VDE steering committee "Nieder-/Mittelspannung" (Low and medium voltage).
This project group comprises representatives of the network operators, nature conservation organisations, bird protection observatories, ministries, and manufacturers of bird safety devices.
This VDE application guide was subject to public opposition proceedings.
This VDE pplication guide contains in the nnexes A and B provisional requirements and test methods for bird safety devices, since there is currently no relevant product standard. The project group recommends preparation of corresponding product standard by the DKE based on this application guide. Moreover it shall be checked during the process of reviewing the standard series DIN EN 50423 (VDE 0210) which of the bird protection aspects regarding the new erection of overhead lines need to be transferred into DIN EN 50423-3-4 (VDE 0210-12). If necessary, this VDE application guide is subsequently to be adapted.
Introduction
Medium-voltage power lines pose risk to a number of birds species, because the insulator dimensions and the spacing of the conductors are comparable to the size and wingspan of these birds. If birds of these species use power poles as elevated perching sites, they can bridge with their bodies, with their wings, or with their defecation / urination squirts the distance between an electric conductor and grounded elements or between two conductors.
Those species of birds, which are at particular risk of electric shock and which are design drives for the bird safety mesures, re storks, raptors and owls.
In Germany, one of the most important milestones for bird safety on medium-voltage power lines was the reinstatement of the article on bird protection in the technical standard DIN VDE 0210 (VDE 0210):1985-12 [1] which states that "the crossarms, insulator supports and other elements of power lines shall be designed so that birds cannot perch in dangerous vicinity of energised conductors."
This article remained unchanged in the currently valid standard for overhead lines DIN EN 50423-3-4.
