Bullet points of Australia could save thousands of bats a year with simple tweak to wind turbines, study says

Bullet points of Australia could save thousands of bats a year with simple tweak to wind turbines, study says
- Australian windfarm operators are being urged to adopt a measure called curtailment, which involves lifting the wind speed at which turbines start spinning to reduce bat deaths.
- A global study found that increasing the cut-in speed to 4.5m/s reduced bat deaths by 40%, with greater reductions possible at higher cut-in speeds.
- A four-month trial at a Victorian windfarm lifted the cut-in speed to 4.5m/s, resulting in a 54% reduction in bat deaths, with only a 0.16% reduction in energy output and a 0.09% cut in revenue.
- The trial's results were published in 2022, but the industry has been slow to respond, with some experts calling for more research and better data sharing.
- Curtailment has been listed as a possible mitigating step in draft onshore windfarms guidelines, and is also included in draft guidelines in NSW.
- Experts say that the problem of bat deaths at windfarms is poorly understood in Australia, and that more research is needed to develop effective solutions.
- The Australasian Bat Society has outlined 10 principles for a 'viable wind industry with no net loss to bat populations', including curtailment and avoiding development in inappropriate locations.
- Industry groups and experts are divided on the effectiveness of curtailment, with some calling for more research and others arguing that it is a viable solution to reduce bat deaths.