An Ohio wind farm used ultrasound to scare bats away, but no one expected the red bats to react so differently

A recent study at a wind farm in Ohio evaluated a new deterrent technology to protect migratory bat populations.

Global decarbonization has become an urgent mission as climate change accelerates.

In the United States, utility-scale wind energy is key to achieving clean power milestones.

Under no circumstances does it seek to promote an opinion or create a trend, nor can it be taken as investment advice or a recommendation of any kind.

However, environmentalists are increasingly concerned about the higher collision risks to vulnerable local species.

Will Ohio’s field test results help lower mortality rates across the country?

How decarbonization is essential to address the rapidly warming planet

Nations worldwide are facing the devastating effects of global warming.

Earth’s temperature is rising beyond target thresholds compared to pre-industrial levels.

As a result, some regions are struggling through intense heatwaves and prolonged droughts.

Meanwhile, others are feeling the brunt of extreme storms and flash floods.

These events are becoming more frequent, posing risks to public safety, freshwater supplies, and food security.

To slow the progression of climate change, global greenhouse gas concentrations must be curbed.

Presently, energy production is the primary driver, accounting for roughly 73% of the world’s emissions.

Consequently, governments are under immense pressure to decarbonize.

Now, nations are rushing to expand clean energy infrastructure.

Despite significant global progress, current growth rates are far from meeting international climate goals.

Meeting zero-emission targets requires installing over 350 gigawatts of new wind capacity annually through 2030.

In the U.S., this has led to a significant increase in large-scale wind capacity.

A growing imbalance between wind expansion and ecosystem safety

The U.S. has set ambitious federal decarbonization targets.

The goal is to generate 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035. To achieve this, wind and solar capacity must triple by 2030.

Utility-scale wind is particularly essential to achieving these milestones.

America is the second-largest producer globally, and as its largest facility is set to come online, this position remains secured.

Currently, the U.S. installed wind capacity is over 145 gigawatts.

However, meeting long-term targets requires adding almost 20 gigawatts annually.

Policy incentives may be strong, but the industry faces other large-scale deployment challenges.

Project approvals are often slowed by siting issues, grid integration delays, and, most importantly, environmental concerns.

Giant turbines have significant wildlife impacts, from habitat displacement to fragmentation to high collision risks.

In the U.S., hundreds of thousands of bats are killed by spinning blades annually.

The USGS conducted a field study in Ohio to evaluate methods that can lower these mortality rates.

Comparing different mitigation strategies

The survival days of bats are numbered near wind turbines.

To address collision risks, a field study was conducted at Avangrid Renewables’ Blue Creek Wind Energy Facility.

The Wildlife Current closely tracked the trial.

Two primary strategies were evaluated, namely operational curtailment and acoustic deterrence.

One is designed to slow or stop blades during high bat activity in low winds. The other uses high-frequency ultrasound to disrupt echolocation.

Researchers added six nacelle-mounted deterrent units to 16 experimental turbines.

Four operational conditions were randomly assigned to each turbine:

• Normal operation
• Curtailment only
• Deterrent only
• Simultaneous curtailment and deterrent

The multi-month study revealed surprising results.

From no benefit to species disparity

The combination of both strategies did not provide additional mortality reductions compared to each strategy alone.

Furthermore, deterrents had a weak reduction in deaths for low-frequency calling bats. This includes hoary, big brown, and silver-haired bats.

Conversely, high-frequency calling bats experienced double the fatalities compared to normal operations. This includes eastern red bats.

It is suspected that the ultrasonic deterrents failed due to species behavior and blade coverage limits.

The signals quickly break down in air, failing to cover the entire rotor-swept area. Additionally, the red bats may perceive the signal as a directional or foraging attraction.

Ultimately, the researchers concluded that turbine curtailment remains the most effective method to protect migratory bats.

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