Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas — Texas Christian University will develop and test coatings that alter the surface texture of wind turbine towers to potentially deter bats from approaching them.

— Texas Christian University will develop and test coatings that alter the surface texture of wind turbine towers to potentially deter bats from approaching them. Frontier Wind, Rocklin, California — Frontier Wind will develop and test an ultrasonic acoustic deterrent system comprising an array of electric ultrasonic transmitters mounted along the length of turbine blades. High-frequency sounds from these transmitters will cover the entire turbine rotor.

— Frontier Wind will develop and test an ultrasonic acoustic deterrent system comprising an array of electric ultrasonic transmitters mounted along the length of turbine blades. High-frequency sounds from these transmitters will cover the entire turbine rotor. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts — The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, will develop a blade-mounted ultrasonic whistle. As air flows over the wind turbine blade, the device will produce a deterrence signal. The project will address the challenge of deterring bats across the entire wind turbine rotor and test whether a pulsed-noise, similar to a bat call, can act as an effective deterrent.

Projects in the second research category will focus on technology demonstration and validation by testing the effectiveness of existing near-commercial technologies at operational wind facilities. This work will serve as a critical step toward deploying commercially-viable, proven tools for protecting bats.

Bat Conservation International, Austin, Texas — Bat Conservation International will conduct reliability tests for an electronic deterrent device and carry out a full-scale validation of its effectiveness at a wind plant. The project will also compare the electronic deterrent’s ability to reduce impacts to bats versus turbine curtailment—or turning turbines off when bats are most active—the primary mitigation measure currently in use.

— Bat Conservation International will conduct reliability tests for an electronic deterrent device and carry out a full-scale validation of its effectiveness at a wind plant. The project will also compare the electronic deterrent’s ability to reduce impacts to bats versus turbine curtailment—or turning turbines off when bats are most active—the primary mitigation measure currently in use. General Electric (GE) Power & Water, Greenville, South Carolina— GE will advance the development of a turbine-integrated, air-powered deterrent device by refining its design based on lab testing and field tests at an operating wind plant.

This important research builds on the Wind Program’s work to remove barriers to wind power deployment and increase the acceptance of wind power technologies by addressing siting and environmental issues. These technologies, if successful, will protect wildlife and also provide the wind industry with new tools to minimize regulatory and financial risks.

