Admitting the problem is a start, but not installing the turbines in the first place is obviously the most effective solution. Reducing deaths and injuries would hardly be a triumph.
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Painting one blade of a wind turbine black could cut wind farms’ fatal bird strikes by up to 70%, reports BBC News.
Painting one blade of a wind turbine black could cut bird strikes at wind farms by up to 70%, a study suggests.
Birds colliding with the structures has long been considered to be one of the main negative impacts of onshore wind farms, the authors observed.
The RSPB welcomed the research but said the priority remained avoiding placing wind farms where there was a risk to wildlife, such as birds.
The findings have been published in the Ecology and Evolution journal.
“Collision of birds, especially raptors, is one of the main environmental concerns related to wind energy development,” observed co-author Roel May.
“In Norway, 6-9 white-tailed eagles are killed annually within the Smøla wind-power plant. This has caused opposition and conflict.”
The Smola wind farm is located on the west coast of Norway, consisting of 68 turbines over 18 square kilometres, making it one of the largest onshore wind farms in Norway.
Paint it black
Dr May, a senior researcher from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research in Trondheim, said the team were keen to test whether mitigation measures could reduce the rate of bird strikes.
“One of the mitigation measures we tested was painting one of three rotor blades black,” he told BBC News.
“The expectation is that this design reduces so-called motion smear, making the blades more visible to birds.”
Full report here.
via Tallbloke’s Talkshop
August 26, 2020 at 04:36AM
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