Nature conservation research at the southern German wind energy test site aims to develop and test avoidance measures for birds and bats at wind turbines. It is thus intended to make an important contribution to the research and development of technical systems on wind turbines (WT) with the aim of avoiding conflicts with wind energy-sensitive species. Existing knowledge gaps regarding the behaviour and collision risk of birds and bats at wind turbines and the requirements for and effectiveness of technical avoidance systems are to be closed.
The project to implement nature conservation research at the onshore wind energy test site in southern Germany aims to gain a better understanding of the abundance and behaviour of birds and bats at wind turbines. Based on this, existing avoidance measures are to be improved and new avoidance measures, especially technical ones, are to be developed and tested. Furthermore, the testing of technical devices for the detection and recognition of species and for the control of turbine operation is planned. In addition, the recording of birds, bats and insects within the framework of field investigations using various technologies as well as the intersection of the data with meteorological data from the test field are further focal points of the research.
Procedure
After the construction or commissioning of the research wind turbines, sensor-based surveys, especially of birds - by telemetry, radar, laser range finder (LRF) - and bats - by acoustic/microphone and thermal imaging technology - will be continued as in Phase 1. Various modules will be implemented in this context as part of the work:
- the (further) development and testing of stereo thermal imaging,
- a camera-based capture of collision victims,
- recording of insect abundance,
- comparison and validation of different monitoring/shutdown systems and
- the implementation of experiments to validate avoidance measures / anti colliosn systems at the wind test site.
The collected data and evaluations are to be used, among other things, to specify the requirements for technical recording and shut-off systems. At the same time, testing and evaluation of the effectiveness of various avoidance measures (in particular demand-oriented shutdown with a focus on wind energy-sensitive bird species) will be based on these investigations. The results will be used to gain knowledge about the behaviour of birds and bats around wind turbines and to make practical recommendations for the sensible implementation and design of technical avoidance measures on wind turbines.
Procect coordination
Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW)
Energy economy systems analysis
Meitnerstr. 1, D-70563 Stuttgart
Dr Frank Musiol
Tel. 07049 11/7870-217
Frank.Musiol@zsw-bw.de
Project partners
Swiss Ornithological Institute
Seerose 1, CH- 6204 Sempach
Freiburger Institut für Angewandte Tierökologie GmbH (FrInaT)
Dunantstr. 9, D-79110 Freiburg
UMIT, Institut für Mess- und Sensortechnik
Eduard-Wallnöfer-Zentrum 1, A-6060 Hall in Tirol
OekoFor GbR
Kartäuserstr. 39a, D-79102 Freiburg
Fachbüro für ökologische Planungen
Schubartstr. 12, D-73092 Heiningen
Funding
Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN)
Leipzig office
Alte Messe 6, D-04013 Leipzig
Jens Ponitka
Tel: 0049 341/30977-169
jens.ponitka@bfn.de
Topics
Wind energy and birdsKeywords
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