Activity-based Informed Curtailment: Using Acoustics to Design and Validate Smart Curtailment to Reduce Risk to Bats at Wind Farms
- Stantec Consulting Services Inc., Chattanooga, TN (United States)
Rapid expansion of renewable energy infrastructure is a key part of any global strategy to reduce the pace and severity of anthropogenic climate change, although the potential impacts of renewable energy infrastructure on wildlife are also becoming increasingly apparent. Bats appear vulnerable to population-level impacts from the cumulative effect of turbine-related fatalities at commercial wind energy facilities in North America, particularly as the industry continues to expand to meet renewable energy generation targets. Turbine curtailment is the most widely used and consistently effective method to reduce bat fatality rates and involves pitching turbine blades parallel to prevailing winds to restrict turbine rotation when turbines would otherwise be operating and capable of producing power. Recognizing the need to expand the wind industry while managing risk to bats highlights the need to understand and manage turbine-related impacts to bats more aggressively and strategically than the current use of blanket curtailment allows.
- Research Organization:
- Stantec Consulting Services Inc., Chattanooga, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Wind Energy Technologies Office
- DOE Contract Number:
- EE0008728
- OSTI ID:
- 2530738
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-Stantec--EE0008728
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Predicting and Managing Risk to Bats at Commercial Wind Farms using Acoustics
Bat Smart Curtailment: Efficacy and Operational Testing
Other
·
Fri May 08 00:00:00 EDT 2020
·
OSTI ID:1842200
Bat Smart Curtailment: Efficacy and Operational Testing
Technical Report
·
Thu Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2023
·
OSTI ID:2212448