Minimizing Collision Impacts for Bats at Operational Wind Facilities, Part 1: Curtailment

Mass. Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

October 4, 2021


 

This is the first in a series of two webinars hosted by AWWI and sponsored by NREL and the Department of Energy on technologies and strategies to minimize bat collision fatalities at operating wind energy facilities.

Some bats are at risk of collision with operating wind turbines, but technologies and strategies can provide solutions for minimizing these impacts. Curtailment – automatically feathering wind turbine blades (angling the blades parallel to the wind to slow or stop them from turning) when risk of collision is determined to be high – has proven to be an effective strategy for reducing bat collision fatalities.

This webinar will feature presentations, a panel discussion, and Q&A by experts on what we’re learning about different curtailment approaches, current smart curtailment research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, and novel approaches to developing ways to make curtailment “smarter.”

Presentations:

  • What We Know About the Efficacy of Curtailment After a Decade of Research and Why it Matters
    • Presenters: Winifred Frick and Michael Whitby, Bat Conservation International
    • Presentation
  • Reviewing the Effectiveness and Measurement of Curtailment Strategies for Reducing Bat Fatalities at Terrestrial Wind Farms
    • Presenter: Evan Adams, Biodiversity Research Institute
    • Presentation
  • Are Bat Activity and Mortality Best Predicted by Weather Measured On-Site or at Off-Site Regional Airports?
    • Presenter: Rhett Good, Western Ecosystems Technology Inc.
    • Presentation
  • Approaches to Developing Smart Curtailment Algorithms for Bats and Birds: Big Data and Machine Learning Perspectives from BatCast and BirdCast
    • Presenter: Andrew Farnsworth, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
    • Presentation

Webinar Q&A:

 

Visit Part 2: Deterrence