Wind Farm Radar? (image courtesy of kqedquest Flickr Creative Commons)

One of the most commonly-voiced concerns about wind energy is the perceived danger of turbines to birds.  As global warming becomes virtually undeniable, one may wonder – which is worse: potential bird kills from wind energy, or significant loss of bird species because of climate change?

Recent studies have concluded that global warming already has had an impact on the abundance and distribution of birds and could lower some species’ chances of survival.

Now, putting aside the fact that tall buildings, communications towers, electric lines, pesticides and house cats kill far birds than wind turbines, we would agree that it is a good idea to employ wind farm radar to protect birds.

The state of Texas is leading the way.

Before we get to the wind farm radar, let’s review some of the facts and myths about wind energy.  This video is a great primer:

Reducing the potential impact of wind turbines on birds

photo credit: hellomike

Generally, studies show that birds can detect variations in turbulence and will avoid wind turbines on their own.  Still, in the nation’s largest wind producer – the state of Texas -millions of birds fly through the airspace on their way north along the Central Flyway.  The flyway is one of the biggest bird migration routes between South America and the Arctic region.  As many as 4,000 birds per hour have passed through a one-kilometer wide band, during the peak of fall migration.

In order to minimize any potential risks of wind turbine bird strikes, two companies came up with wind farm radar to protect birds.  Iberdrola Renewables of Spain and Babcock & Brown of Australia, noted that when bad weather hits, birds generally fly lower and may be at higher risk of danger.  To avoid the impact of wind turbines on birds, they installed radar that was originally developed for NASA and the military in order to detect a large migrating flock, which would then shut the turbines down.

This may partially appease conservation groups like the National Audubon Society which supports wind power as a way to reduce CO2 emissions, provided that the turbines are placed with care to avoid unnecessary harm to birds.  Considering that wind power is expected to increase by a factor of 10 by the year 2030, it is appropriate to consider the most environmentally-friendly way to harness renewable energy.

Could we see wind farm radar as standard in the near future?  Its possible.  The American Wind Wildlife Institute is working on guidelines for turbine use.  All eyes will be on Texas to see if the radar installations reduce the impact of wind turbines on birds.

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Related posts:

1. Wind Energy Basics