A SOLUTION FOR BATS IN THE WIND

Avoiding Bat Fatalities On Wind Farms: New Research Shows Promise
17 January 2012 (North American Windpower)

"…[R]esearchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Forest Service have developed a new technology to help wind farm operators tackle [the issue of bat fatalities]. The interactive tool, created by ecologist Ted Weller and statistician Jim Baldwin from the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station, is designed to help wind energy project operators make informed decisions on efficient ways to reduce wind farms' impacts on migratory bats.

"The tool allows users to visualize how changes in date and weather conditions affect the probability of bat presence…Weller and his research team used devices that detected the bats’ echolocation calls, and then linked the presence of bats to the weather conditions measured on-site on a given night…"

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"…They found that echolocation detectors placed at 22 meters and 52 meters above ground were more effective…than those located closer to the ground…[and] multiple echolocation detectors were required to accurately characterize bat activity…The researchers then built models to predict the presence of bats based on date and weather variables…

"The researchers conducted the study at a wind energy facility in the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Resource Area near Palm Springs, Calif., and was a collaborative effort among government, industry and a nongovernmental organization…[including] PSW, Iberdrola Renewables, and the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative. The primary funding was provided by the California Energy Commission Public Interest Energy Research program…"