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Collision

Birds flying past a wind turbine farm
Direct contact between an animal and a device component.

Any part of a renewable energy device that moves has the potential to have a deleterious effect on both resident and migratory organisms. Collisions between animals and tidal or wind turbine blades could result in injury or death, either by direct contact with the device or by pressure changes created around the moving parts. The probability of a collision with a blade may vary based on the rotational or mechanical speed of the moving parts, the presence and density of animals in the area, the time of day, weather conditions, and the ability of animals to sense and evade the device. Carcasses found around land-based wind turbines provide an estimate of bird and bat fatalities, while it is much more difficult to estimate the effect of collisions with offshore wind turbines. To date there have been no observed collisions of marine mammals or diving seabirds with tidal turbines. Wave energy devices also have moving parts such as heave plates, flaps, and other large heavy components that could potentially cause harm, although the likelihood is thought to be extremely small. Collisions resulting in injury and death of individual animals with moving parts of devices become particularly important if the loss of those individuals affect the stability and sustainability of the population in the area.

For more information relevant to marine energy, check out the Collision Risk Short Science Summary produced by OES-Environmental.

For more information relevant to offshore wind energy, check out the Bat and Bird Interactions with Offshore Wind Energy research brief produced by SEER.

Marine and Wind Energy Environmental Documents

Tethys is a knowledge hub that contains documents on the environmental effects of wind and marine energy. The table below contains all of the documents in the Tethys Knowledge Base associated with Collision.

Total: 1731

Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
From parameter uncertainty to process simulation: rethinking collision risk models Dickins, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds
Mitigating wildlife collisions with wind turbines: A review of techniques, evidence, knowledge gaps and avenues for future research Kuzovnikova, E., Whale, J., Shephard, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Bats, Birds
Vertical collision risk of Red-crowned Cranes at coastal onshore wind farms in eastern China Dong, K., Hu, X., Lu, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds
Altimeters on albatrosses: quantifying flight heights for dynamic soaring seabirds Miller, M., Hamilton, S., Clarke, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Seabirds
Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) ecology and conservation through the lens of the full annual cycle Felton, S., Weller, T., Hale, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
Multi-Sensor Logger Tracking Reveals the Threats of Offshore Windfarms to Passerine-Sized Birds Doniol-Valcroze, P., Beggs, I., Bell, F. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement Birds, Passerines
Efficacy of Painting Wind Turbine Blades as a Mitigation Measure to Reduce Bird Collisions in a Mediterranean Wind Farm May, R., Hernández Gómez, M., Aguirre Martínez, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds, Passerines, Raptors, Waterfowl
Fish Injury and Mortality Events at the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project in 2024 Methratta, E., Jewett, E., Hall, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Habitat Change Fish, Demersal Fish
Optimising bat-friendly curtailment algorithms for wind turbines Barre, K., Kravchenko, K., Chambert, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
On the effects of bat protection strategies on energy production and structural loads of wind farms Pettas, V., Göçmen, T., Duc, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
Ecological impacts of centralized large-scale photovoltaics and wind farms: Progress and prospects Peng, Y., Luo, Y., Xu, Z. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Chemicals, Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Physical Environment
Using thermal cameras to record collisions of songbirds and bats at a wind turbine of HKZ offshore wind farm, Netherlands Krijgsveld, K., Warmer, F., Poot, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Bats, Birds
Comparing optical camera and imaging sonar observations of animal interactions with a tidal turbine Bassett, C., Cotter, E. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Attraction, Avoidance, Collision Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Pinnipeds
Avian Collision Risk with Reference Wind Turbines: Effects of Geometry, Operation, and Flight Height Distribution Fritz, E., Turrini, M., Breuer, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Raptors, Seabirds
The impact of wind turbines on the distribution and abundance of raptors at an important wintering and migration stopover site in Ontario, Canada Mitchell, K., Martin, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds, Raptors
Environment Impacts of Nearshore Marine Renewable Energy Chen, Y. Journal Article Marine Energy Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise
Variable effects of blade black-and-white designs on detection of turbine rotation by birds Blary, C., Foucart, L., Besnard, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Raptors
Synergies and trade-offs between biodiversity and distance to settlements in the spatial allocation of wind power Luukkonen, S., Räsänen, A., Koivula, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Terrestrial Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Social & Economic Data, Stakeholder Engagement, Visual Impacts
Bird Behavior and Physiology: Implications for Collision and Displacement Risk WREN, Dempsey, L., Hein, C. Summary Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement Birds
An intelligent SCADA-integrated deep learning framework for bird-safe offshore wind farm operation Sultan, Y.A., Sameh, A., Gamel, S.A. Journal Article Wind Energy Collision, Habitat Change Birds
Bird migration and wind-energy production across Western Europe Bauer, S., Nussbaumer, R., Tito, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
3rd Edition: Summary of Bat Fatality Monitoring Data Contained in AWWIC Land-based Wind Energy Monitoring Database Schauber, E., Butryn, R., Felton, S. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
Localized and temporary vessel traffic changes from offshore wind development on the US East Coast pose limited risk to large whales Bishop, A., Meyer-Gutbrod, E., Nowacek, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Human Dimensions, Navigation
Raptor exposure to collision risk in relation to weather and season at a wind farm in tropical Africa Kimani, D., Ndiritu, G., Kimuyu, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds
Bio-informed blade patterns for mitigating bird collisions with wind turbines Brighton, C., Portugal, S., Taylor, G. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
Best practice guidance for the installation of monitoring equipment to support post construction seabird collision monitoring at offshore wind farms Valantiejus, Ž., Boersch-Supan, P., Thaxter, C. Guidance Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Seabirds
Best practice guidance for the collection, management and analysis of data to support post-construction seabird collision monitoring at offshore wind farms Valantiejus, Ž., Boersch-Supan, P., Thaxter, C. Guidance Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision Birds, Seabirds, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Stakeholder Engagement
Mooring Sensors for Environmental Awareness (MoorSEA)—Environmental Data Memo H.T. Harvey & Associates, Schatz Energy Research Center Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Entanglement Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Species-specific acoustic responses by bats to ultrasonic stimuli used for reducing bat-wind turbine interactions Guest, E., Weaver, S., Hale, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
Airflow Dynamics and Bat Behavior Near Wind Energy Turbines and Trees Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision Bats
Biologically inspired warning patterns deter a passerine, Parus major, from digital turbine blades Hancock, G., Lehtonen, H., Brown, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds, Passerines
Frequently Asked Questions: Offshore Wind and Birds Bird Communications Specialist Committee Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision, Displacement Birds
Seabirds in 3D: A framework to evaluate collision vulnerability with future offshore wind developments in the California current system Schneider, S., Wallach, E., Chamberlin, C. Journal Article Wind Energy Collision Birds
Bat Visual Systems and Wind Energy Clerc, J., Dempsey, L., ECO Wind Summary Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Collision, Lighting Bats
Bird collisions with wind generators in China: a review of avoidance and minimization measures Friedrich, E. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
Pooling information across sites and years to estimate bat fatalities at wind farms Berberian, N., Dixon, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
Progressing Tidal Energy Through Organized Data Approaches Copping, A., Hemery, L., Garavelli, L. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Implications of surveyor accuracy in bird flight height estimation for wind farm collision risk assessment Largey, N., Edwards, H., Fernandez-Bellon, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
Impacts of Renewable Energy Sources on Biological Diversity and Conservation: An Overview Saad, S., Mohamed Abou El Leil, I. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats, Birds, Raptors
Estimating the traffic rates of bats migrating across the North and Baltic Seas to develop efficient mitigation measures at offshore wind energy facilities Seebens-Hoyer, A., Bach, L., Pommeranz, H. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Bats

Displaying 1 - 40 of 1731 results