Wildlife and renewable energy: German politics cross migratory bats

Voigt, Christian C.; Lehnert, Linn Sophia; Pētersons, Gunārs; Adorf, Frank; Bach, Lothar

doi:10.1007/s10344-015-0903-y

Cited by 100 publications

(100 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Assuming these numbers are representative of all types of wind turbines for all of Germany, it has been suggested that more than 200,000 bats were killed at onshore wind turbines in Germany, assuming no behavioral modification or mitigation measures were practiced (Voigt et al 2015a). Over the past ten years of wind energy development, it is estimated that more than two million bats may have been killed by wind turbines in Germany, based on the reported large-scale development of wind turbines in that country (Berkhout et al 2013;Voigt et al 2015a).…”

Section: Cumulative Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, these algorithms have been formulated for a single type of turbine and for a limited number of sites. Thus, the suggested algorithms may be unsuitable for other places with varied geographical and topographic characteristics, bat communities, and turbine types (Voigt et al 2015a).…”

Section: Mitigating Bat Mortalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Germany, recent models accounting for multiple environmental variables that predict and reduce collision rate and further minimize loss of energy production offer promise for mitigating bat fatalities ). However, these algorithms and most other operation protocols still tolerate an arbitrary number of bat fatalities (currently two bat fatalities per wind turbine per year where these algorithms are used in Germany) (Voigt et al 2015a); any such fatality trigger in Europe is seemingly in opposition to current law, given that European legislation does not allow deliberate killing of any bat, regardless of population effects. Additionally, with increasing numbers of wind turbines, fixed annual "per capita" (i.e., per wind turbine) mortality rates may not be acceptable in light of limited bat population sizes, and the acceptance of a reduced fatality rate may not necessarily be consistent with national and EU legislation (Voigt et al 2015a).…”

Section: Conservation Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, these algorithms and most other operation protocols still tolerate an arbitrary number of bat fatalities (currently two bat fatalities per wind turbine per year where these algorithms are used in Germany) (Voigt et al 2015a); any such fatality trigger in Europe is seemingly in opposition to current law, given that European legislation does not allow deliberate killing of any bat, regardless of population effects. Additionally, with increasing numbers of wind turbines, fixed annual "per capita" (i.e., per wind turbine) mortality rates may not be acceptable in light of limited bat population sizes, and the acceptance of a reduced fatality rate may not necessarily be consistent with national and EU legislation (Voigt et al 2015a). Regulatory authorities in the US state of Pennsylvania and the Canadian province of Ontario set thresholds for initiating curtailment based on the annual mean number of bats killed per turbine (28 and 10 bat fatalities/turbine, respectively Arnett et al 2013c).…”

Section: Conservation Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Impacts of Wind Energy Development on Bats: A Global Perspective

Arnett

Baerwald

Mathews

et al. 2015

Bats in the Anthropocene: Conservation of Bats in a Changing World

Self Cite

125

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Wind energy continues to be one of the fastest growing renewable energy sources under development, and while representing a clean energy source, it is not environmentally neutral. Large numbers of bats are being killed at utilityscale wind energy facilities worldwide, raising concern about cumulative impacts of wind energy development on bat populations. We discuss our current state of knowledge on patterns of bat fatalities at wind facilities, estimates of fatalities, mitigation efforts, and policy and conservation implications. Given the magnitude and extent of fatalities of bats worldwide, the conservation implications of understanding and mitigating bat fatalities at wind energy facilities are critically important and should be proactive and based on science rather than being reactive and arbitrary.

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Section: Cumulative Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mitigating Bat Mortalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conservation Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conservation Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Impacts of Wind Energy Development on Bats: A Global Perspective

Arnett

Baerwald

Mathews

et al. 2015

Bats in the Anthropocene: Conservation of Bats in a Changing World

Self Cite

125

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Prior to the late 1990s, bat fatalities resulting from collisions with human-made structures were uncommon (Cryan 2011), yet recent deployment of tall, monopole (single tube) wind turbines has resulted in unanticipated and unprecedented numbers of bat fatalities (Kunz et al 2007. Tens of thousands of bat fatalities now occur each year at wind turbines in the USA and Canada (Arnett & Baerwald 2013), and substantial numbers are also reported from Europe (Rydell et al 2010a, Voigt et al 2015.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dim ultraviolet light as a means of deterring activity by the Hawaiian hoary bat Lasiurus cinereus semotus

Gorresen¹,

Cryan²,

Dalton³

et al. 2015

Endang. Species. Res.

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Widespread bat fatalities at industrial wind turbines are a conservation issue with the potential to inhibit efficient use of an abundant source of energy. Bat fatalities can be reduced by altering turbine operations, but such curtailment decreases turbine efficiency. If additional ways of reducing bat fatalities at wind turbines were available such tradeoffs might not be needed. Based on the facts that bats perceive distant objects primarily through vision and can see in very dim lighting conditions, and the possibility that bats might interact with turbines after approaching them as they would trees, we propose a novel method of reducing bat activity at wind turbines: illumination of the structure with dim light. As a first step toward assessing this approach, we illuminated trees with dim flickering ultraviolet (UV) light in areas frequented by Hawaiian hoary bats Lasiurus cinereus semotus, an endangered subspecies affected by wind turbines. We used a repeated-measures design to quantify bat activity near trees with acoustic detectors and thermal video cameras in the presence and absence of UV illumination, while concurrently monitoring insect numbers. Results indicate that dim UV reduces bat activity despite an increase in insect numbers. Experimental treatment did not completely inhibit bat activity near trees, nor did all measures of bat activity show statistically significant differences due to high variance in bat activity among sites. However, the observed decreases in bat activity with dim UV illumination justify further testing of this method as a means to reduce bat fatalities at wind turbines.

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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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Wildlife and renewable energy: German politics cross migratory bats

Cited by 100 publications

References 21 publications

Impacts of Wind Energy Development on Bats: A Global Perspective

Impacts of Wind Energy Development on Bats: A Global Perspective

Dim ultraviolet light as a means of deterring activity by the Hawaiian hoary bat Lasiurus cinereus semotus

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

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