Mitigating Bat Mortality with Turbine-Specific Curtailment Algorithms: A Model Based Approach

Behr, Oliver; Brinkmann, Robert; Hochradel, Klaus; Mages, Jürgen; Korner‐Nievergelt, Fränzi; Niermann, Ivo; Reich, Michael; Simon, Ralph; Weber, Natalie; Nagy, Martina

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-51272-3_8

Cited by 35 publications

(95 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…However, despite the lack of experimental research, due to the conservation status of bat species in most European countries, operational mitigation is more common than it is in North America (Behr et al. ). Some European countries and states (such as some German federal states) require operational mitigation to reduce bat fatalities at wind energy facilities (Behr et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some European countries and states (such as some German federal states) require operational mitigation to reduce bat fatalities at wind energy facilities (Behr et al. ), and have strict fatality targets (e.g., ≤2 bats/turbine; Behr et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…), and have strict fatality targets (e.g., ≤2 bats/turbine; Behr et al. ). Recent research in Germany has shown promising results in reducing bat fatalities using correlative statistical models (e.g., N‐mixture models; Royle ) in combination with prior acoustic and environmental information to help guide near real‐time curtailment decisions (Behr et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent research in Germany has shown promising results in reducing bat fatalities using correlative statistical models (e.g., N‐mixture models; Royle ) in combination with prior acoustic and environmental information to help guide near real‐time curtailment decisions (Behr et al. ). However, without concurrent comparisons of approaches at the same or similar study sites, it is unclear how these approaches would compare to the TIMR smart curtailment approach presented here.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Behr et al. ). When compared to blanket curtailment approaches, these predictive modeling approaches have substantial promise in helping to reduce bat and other wildlife fatalities while increasing operational flexibility (e.g., allowing the turbines to continue producing energy when they might otherwise be curtailed based only on wind speed information) and energy production at wind energy facilities (Behr et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

A smart curtailment approach for reducing bat fatalities and curtailment time at wind energy facilities

Hayes¹,

Hooton

Gilland³

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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The development and expansion of wind energy is considered a key global threat to bat populations. Bat carcasses are being found underneath wind turbines across North and South America, Eurasia, Africa, and the Austro‐Pacific. However, relatively little is known about the comparative impacts of techniques designed to modify turbine operations in ways that reduce bat fatalities associated with wind energy facilities. This study tests a novel approach for reducing bat fatalities and curtailment time at a wind energy facility in the United States, then compares these results to operational mitigation techniques used at other study sites in North America and Europe. The study was conducted in Wisconsin during 2015 using a new system of tools for analyzing bat activity and wind speed data to make near real‐time curtailment decisions when bats are detected in the area at control turbines (N = 10) vs. treatment turbines (N = 10). The results show that this smart curtailment approach (referred to as Turbine Integrated Mortality Reduction, TIMR) significantly reduced fatality estimates for treatment turbines relative to control turbines for pooled species data, and for each of five species observed at the study site: pooled data (–84.5%); eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis, –82.5%); hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus, –81.4%); silver‐haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans, –90.9%); big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus, –74.2%); and little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus, –91.4%). The approach reduced power generation and estimated annual revenue at the wind energy facility by ≤ 3.2% for treatment turbines relative to control turbines, and we estimate that the approach would have reduced curtailment time by 48% relative to turbines operated under a standard curtailment rule used in North America. This approach significantly reduced fatalities associated with all species evaluated, each of which has broad distributions in North America and different ecological affinities, several of which represent species most affected by wind development in North America. While we recognize that this approach needs to be validated in other areas experiencing rapid wind energy development, we anticipate that this approach has the potential to significantly reduce bat fatalities in other ecoregions and with other bat species assemblages in North America and beyond.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

A smart curtailment approach for reducing bat fatalities and curtailment time at wind energy facilities

Hayes¹,

Hooton

Gilland³

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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Ecobat: An online resource to facilitate transparent, evidence‐based interpretation of bat activity data

Lintott

Davison

Breda³

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Acoustic surveys of bats are one of the techniques most commonly used by ecological practitioners. The results are used in Ecological Impact Assessments to assess the likely impacts of future developments on species that are widely protected in law, and to monitor developments’ postconstruction. However, there is no standardized methodology for analyzing or interpreting these data, which can make the assessment of the ecological value of a site very subjective. Comparisons of sites and projects are therefore difficult for ecologists and decision‐makers, for example, when trying to identify the best location for a new road based on relative bat activity levels along alternative routes. Here, we present a new web‐based, data‐driven tool, Ecobat, which addresses the need for a more robust way of interpreting ecological data. Ecobat offers users an easy, standardized, and objective method for analyzing bat activity data. It allows ecological practitioners to compare bat activity data at regional and national scales and to generate a numerical indicator of the relative importance of a night's worth of bat activity. The tool is free and open‐source; because the underlying algorithms are already developed, it could easily be expanded to new geographical regions and species. Data donation is required to ensure the robustness of the analyses; we use a positive feedback mechanism to encourage ecological practitioners to share data by providing in return high quality, contextualized data analysis, and graphical visualizations for direct use in ecological reports.

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Effects of Wind Turbine Curtailment on Bird and Bat Fatalities

Smallwood¹,

Bell²

2020

J Wildl Manag

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Bird and bat fatalities increase with wind energy expansion and the only effective fatalityreduction measure has been operational curtailment, which has been documented for bats but not for birds. We performed opportune before-after, control-impact (BACI) experiments of curtailment effects on bird and bat fatalities and nocturnal passage rates during fall migration at 2 wind projects, where 1 continued operating and the other shut down from peak migration to the study's end (study 1). We also performed BACI experiments during a 3-year study of curtailment and operational effects on bird fatalities among wind turbines of varying operational status (study 2). In study 1, wind turbine curtailment significantly reduced near-misses and rotor-disrupted flights of bats, and it significantly reduced fatalities of bats but not of birds. In study 2, converting wind turbines from inoperable to operable status did not significantly increase bird fatalities, and bird species of hole or sheltered-ledge nesters or roosters on human-made structures died in substantial numbers at vacant towers. Of bird species represented by fatalities in study 2, 79% were found at inoperable wind turbines. Because the migration season is relatively brief, seasonal curtailment would greatly reduce bat fatalities for a slight loss in annual energy generation, but it might not benefit many bird species.

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Mitigating Bat Mortality with Turbine-Specific Curtailment Algorithms: A Model Based Approach

Cited by 35 publications

References 23 publications

A smart curtailment approach for reducing bat fatalities and curtailment time at wind energy facilities

A smart curtailment approach for reducing bat fatalities and curtailment time at wind energy facilities

Ecobat: An online resource to facilitate transparent, evidence‐based interpretation of bat activity data

Effects of Wind Turbine Curtailment on Bird and Bat Fatalities

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