Now the problem’s bats…Yes, bats!

Commercial scale wind systems continue to face a number of obstacles. There’s the mismatch between energy production and demand, the incapability of the grid to handle energy in some regions, a lack of mature and commercially viable local energy storage solutions, and local residents frequently don’t want turbines in their backyards.

Additionally, attention must be paid to migratory birds. It seems the regions that have the best properties that make grand scale wind projects (such as those proposed by T. Boone Pickens and others, as well as many offshore wind efforts) practical, are in the flight paths of many migratory birds. But for the most part, migratory birds seem to steer clear of spinning turbines and are not adversely impacted.

The same cannot be said for bats.

Without understanding the reasons why, researchers believe bats are attracted to the spinning turbines in wind farms. Unfortunately, this is a fatal attraction. Recent studies have found that bats’ lungs suffer bends-like problems and often explode when they pass close to spinning turbines.

The industry is taking steps to address this problem. In late October, IBERDROLA RENEWABLES, a leading supplier of wind power (the company says it has 8,500 MW of wind power in operation globally today), announced a company-wide Avian and Bat Protection Plan.

According to company, “the plan is modeled in part after the 2005 Avian Protection Plan template developed by some 30 electric utility companies, numerous electric cooperatives and rural utilities, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to address impacts of transmission and distribution lines on birds.”

The new plan applies those principles to the company’s wind fleet and addresses bats as well as birds. In particular, the plan establishes internal policies for pre- and post-site monitoring, impact assessment, permit compliance, and mortality reduction measures.

 Hopefully, voluntary industry efforts like this will reduce yet one more obstacle to deploying wind farms.