Rotor-Mounted Bat Impact Deterrence System Design and Testing

Designing and field-testing the world’s first wind turbine-blade mounted bat impact deterrence system

Hatchet Ridge Wind where the StrikeFree bat deterence system was tested

Grid Decarbonization and Decentralization Variable Renewable Generation

Frontier Wind

Recipient

Rocklin, CA

Recipient Location

1st

Senate District

5th

Assembly District

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$713,707

Amount Spent

closed

Completed

Project Status

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Project Result

The project concluded in 2019, and the final report was received. Researchers completed the design stage for the system and tested it in their lab. The full system was installed on twelve turbines at Hatchet Ridge in 2016. Bat fatality surveys were conducted on the test turbines and control turbines during the fall 2016 bat migration season. Power supply problems disrupted the field testing, limiting the amount of useful data. Problems with the power supplies were diagnosed and resolved in 2018, but smoke from the Carr Fire prevented installation in time for the 2018 bat migration season. Therefore the team was unable to complete bat fatality surveys in 2019 to collect sufficient data to give a statistically robust estimate of the effectiveness of the system to reduce fatalities.

View Final Report

The Issue

Some approaches to mitigating the impact of wind generation facilities on wildlife species, including bats, can limit the development and productivity of new wind energy projects. Developing advanced technologies and methods to mitigate fatal interaction of bat species with wind turbine facilities could enable wider deployment of wind energy with less curtailment.

Project Innovation

The project designed and tested (in lab and field) a new system to discourage bats from colliding with wind turbines. The system uses ultrasound transmitters mounted in an array along the rotor blades, providing complete coverage over the entire rotor and nacelle envelope. A field test study using substantially similar methods to prior bat impact studies was implemented post-installation at the test site to measure the effectiveness of the new ultrasound system.

Project Benefits

This project created an innovative bat impact deterrent system that may effectively prevent fatal bat interactions with wind turbines. The system has potential to yield a transformational impact on the field of bat impact mitigation. An effective, practical, cost-effective system design and test can enable commercialization and broad deployment of this technology. As a system that can be retrofitted into existing turbines and installed in new wind turbines, this technology could materially overcome a significant challenge of the wind power industry by reducing bat fatalities and injuries from turbine strikes while avoiding costly curtailments.

Affordability

Currently available mitigation measures can be costly to ratepayers through forced curtailments and limit achievement of state renewable capacity expansion goals. The system could provide a less costly alternative approach.