One hypothesis seeking to explain why bats collide with wind turbines is that bats, while relying on visual cues during open-air flight, mistake turbine silhouettes as trees. As a result, bats become attracted to the wind turbine in anticipation of foraging, roosting, and/or mating opportunities. As a technique to disrupt this attraction, a series of studies (including ongoing research) have investigated whether illuminating wind turbines with ultraviolet (UV) light (visible to bats but not humans) would make them visually distinct from trees to the point that bats would no longer confuse the two. During tests in a natural setting, bats appeared to exhibit a slightly negative response to UV-lit trees; however, during testing at wind turbines, there was no significant difference in bat activity between UV-lit and non-UV-lit turbines. At present, there is no strong evidence that UV illumination either deters (or attracts) bats, and existing evidence remains inconclusive. Current and future research should investigate the efficacy of UV illuminance with study designs that focus on increased sample sizes while monitoring for any potentially unanticipated negative effects to the environment when adding stimuli such as UV lights, which may, for example, attract insects.
View Using Ultraviolet Light To Deter Bats From Wind Turbines—Short Science Summary here.
The table below contains the literature relevant to this summary document and will continue to be updated as new literature is added to Tethys.
| Title | Author | Date Sort ascending | Content Type | Technology | Stressor | Receptor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Wind Energy Interactions with Wildlife Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Based on the State of the Science | Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI) | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Noise | Bats, Birds | |
| Guidance on biodiversity cumulative impact assessment for wind and solar developments and associated infrastructure | Bennun, L., Fletcher, C., Cook, A., Wilson, D., Jobson, B., Asante-Owusu, R., Dakmejian, A., Liu, Q. | Guidance | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind | Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike | Bats, Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Legal & Policy, Stakeholder Engagement | |
| Context-dependent effects of wind turbines on bats in rural landscapes | Sotillo, A., Le Viol, I., Barre, K., Bas, Y., Kerbiriou, C. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| Distribution of common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) activity is altered by airflow disruption generated by wind turbines | Leroux, C., Barre, K., Valet, N., Kerbiriou, C., Le Viol, I. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance | Bats | |
| Toward solving the global green–green dilemma between wind energy production and bat conservation | Voigt, C., Bernard, E., Huang, J., Frick, W., Kerbiriou, C., MacEwan, K., Mathews, F., Rodríguez-Durán, A., Scholz, C., Webala, P., Welbergen, J., Whitby, M. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision, Displacement | Bats | |
| Forest bat activity declines with increasing wind speed in proximity of operating wind turbines | Ellerbrok, J., Farwig, N., Peter, F., Voigt, C. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Noise | Bats | |
| BatTool: projecting bat populations facing multiple stressors using a demographic model | Wiens, A., Schorg, A., Szymanski, J., Thogmartin, W. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Habitat Change | Bats | |
| How effective are existing solutions to mitigate impacts of onshore wind farms on flying vertebrates and invertebrates? A Rapid Review | Langridge, J., Dupuis, L., Hette-Tronquart, N., Jactel, H., Besnard, A. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision | Bats, Birds, Invertebrates | |
| 2023 North American State of the Bats Report | Bat Conservation International | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| The presence of wind turbines repels bats in boreal forests | Gaultier, S., Lilley, T., Vesterinen,E., Brommer, J. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance | Bats | |
| Conservation: Tracking bats around wind turbines | O'Mara, M. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| Suivi environnemental 2022: Suivi de la mortalité - Parc éolien de la Vallée de Torfou | Habert, T., Yann, M. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change | Bats, Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds, Passerines, Raptors | |
| International assessment of priority environmental issues for land-based and offshore wind energy development | Green, R., Gill, E., Hein, C., Couturier, L., Mascarenhas, M., May, R., Newell, D., Rumes, B. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind | Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise | Bats, Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment | |
| Distance to hedgerows drives local repulsion and attraction of wind turbines on bats: Implications for spatial siting | Leroux, C., Kerbiriou, C., Le Viol, I., Valet, N., Barre, K. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Habitat Change | Bats | |
| Activity of forest specialist bats decreases towards wind turbines at forest sites | Ellerbrok, J., Delius, A., Peter, F., Farwig, N., Voigt, C. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance | Bats | |
| Coastal onshore wind turbines lead to habitat loss for bats in Northern Germany | Reusch, C., Lozar, M., Kramer-Schadt, S., Voigt, C. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change | Bats | |
| Curtailment and acoustic deterrents reduce bat mortality at wind farms | Good, R., Iskali, G., Lombardi, J., McDonald, T., DuBridge, K., Azeka, M., Tredennick, A. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance | Bats | |
| Efficacy and cost of acoustic-informed and wind speed-only turbine curtailment to reduce bat fatalities at a wind energy facility in Wisconsin | Rabie, P., Welch-Acosta, B., Nasman, K., Schumacher, S., Schueller, S., Gruver, J. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance | Bats | |
| Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light | Cryan, P., Gorresen, P., Straw, B., Thao, S., DeGeorge, E. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| A review of the effectiveness of operational curtailment for reducing bat fatalities at terrestrial wind farms in North America | Adams, E., Gulka, J., Williams, K. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| GPS tracking data can document wind turbine interactions: Evidence from a GPS-tagged Eurasian curlew | Jiguet, F., Schwemmer, P., Rousseau, P., Bocher, P. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance | Bats, Birds, Shorebirds, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment | |
| Simulating Wind Energy Production Effects from Detection-based Smart Curtailment Bat Strategies for Alberta Wind Facilities | Newman, C. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance | Bats | |
| Land-Based Wind Energy Siting: A Foundational and Technical Resource | Christol, C., Oteri, F., Laurienti, M. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Habitat Change | Bats, Birds, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Stakeholder Engagement, Visual Impacts | |
| La urgencia de hacer Restauración ecológica en México | Mendez-Toribio, M., Izquierdo- Calderón, N., Martinez-Garza, C. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change | Bats, Birds | |
| U.S. Geological Survey Migratory Bird Science, 2020–21 | Pearse, A., Sherfy, M., Wimer, M., Khalil, M., Wiltermuth, M. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision, Habitat Change | Bats, Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds, Passerines, Raptors, Physical Environment | |
| Peaks in bat activity at turbines and the implications for mitigating the impact of wind energy developments on bats | Richardson, S., Lintott, P., Hosken, D., Economou, T., Mathews, F. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| Bat activity and evidence of bat migration at two high elevation passes in the Western Alps | Caprio, E., Patriarca, E., Debernardi, P. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance | Bats | |
| Influence of landscape and time of year on bat-wind turbines collision risks | Roemer, C., Bas, Y., Disca, T., Coulon, A. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| Impacts to Wildlife of Wind Energy Siting and Operation in the United States | Allison, T., Diffendorfer, J., Baerwald, E., Beston, J., Drake, D., Hale, A., Hein, C., Huso, M., Loss, S., Lovich, J., Strickland, M., Williams, K., Winder, V. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change | Bats, Birds | |
| Bird and Bat Conservation Strategy Deuel Harvest North Wind Farm Deuel County, South Dakota | Simon, S., Welch-Acosta, B. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance | Birds, Bats | |
| Estimating habitat loss due to wind turbine avoidance by bats: Implications for European siting guidance | Barre, K., Le Viol, I., Bas, Y., Julliard, R., Kerbiriou, C. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change | Bats | |
| Texturizing Wind Turbine Towers to Reduce Bat Mortality | Bennett, V., Hendrix, T. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| Wind turbines impact bat activity, leading to high losses of habitat use in a biodiversity hotspot | Millon, L., Colin, C., Brescia, F., Kerbiriou, C. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Habitat Change | Bats | |
| Impacts of onshore wind energy production on birds and bats: recommendations for future life cycle impact assessment developments | Laranjeiro, T., May, R., Verones, F. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change | Bats, Birds | |
| Impact of wind turbines on bat activity: an ommited long-distance concern | Barre, K., Julliard, R., Le Viol, I., Bas, Y., Kerbiriou, C. | Presentation | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| The Impacts of Small and Medium Wind Turbines on Bats | Moyle, A. | Thesis | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Habitat Change, Displacement, Collision, Avoidance, Attraction | Bats | |
| Framework for Testing the Effectiveness of Bat and Eagle Impact-Reduction Strategies at Wind Energy Projects | Sinclair, K., DeGeorge, E. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision, Avoidance, Attraction | Raptors, Birds, Bats | |
| Impacts to Birds and Bats Due to Collisions and Electrocutions from Some Tall Structures in the United States: Wires, Towers, Turbines, and Solar Arrays - State of the Art in Addressing the Problems | Manville, A. | Book Chapter | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Habitat Change, Displacement, Collision, Avoidance, Attraction | Birds, Bats | |
| How to Mitigate Impacts of Wind Farms on Bats? A Review of Potential Conservation Measures in the European Context | Peste, F., Paula, A., Pinto da Silva, P., Bernardino, J., Pereira, P., Mascarenhas, M., Costa, H., Vieira, J., Bastos, C., Fonseca, C., Pereira, M. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Displacement, Collision, Avoidance, Attraction | Bats |