Wind Energy Monitoring and Mitigation Technologies Tool

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WREN has created a free, online tool to catalog monitoring and mitigating technologies developed to assess and reduce potential wildlife impacts resulting from land-based and offshore wind energy development. The tool will be continuously maintained and updated to ensure the international community has access to current, publicly available information on monitoring and mitigation solutions, their state of development, and related research on their effectiveness.

Results can be refined by selecting from the drop down menus or entering a search term. You can also download the full list of monitoring and mitigation technologies or look up definition of terms used in this tool.

Technologies are reviewed on an annual basis, but can be updated more frequently if needed, by emailing tethys@pnnl.gov. The wind energy community may also contribute additional technologies for consideration by filling out this survey.

Last updated: 8 October 2024.

Displaying 41 - 80 of 110 technologies
Type Stressor & Receptor Technology Description Placement & Integration Research Summary Citations
Mitigation

Offshore

Construction
Noise

Marine Mammals, Fish, Marine Reptiles
Electronic and Geophysical Services
EGS Bubble Curtain

The EGS Bubble Curtain aims to reduce the propagation of sound waves during pile driving activities. The bubble curtain consists of a hose with 3 mm holes every 0.3-0.4 m anchored to the sea bottom around the pile-driving operation....Read more

The EGS Bubble Curtain aims to reduce the propagation of sound waves during pile driving activities. The bubble curtain consists of a hose with 3 mm holes every 0.3-0.4 m anchored to the sea bottom around the pile-driving operation. Bubbles produced disrupt the propagation of sound from the construction activities.

Read less

Hose anchored to the sea bottom in a circle surrounding the monopile during pile driving

Large-Scale Field Study

Nehls et al. (2007) compared the costs and efficacy of three methods of noise reduction in pile driving: bubble curtains, modifications to the pile hammer, and pile sleeves. Bubble curtain technologies compared design, diameter, air supply, water depth, and noise reduction....Read more

Nehls et al. (2007) compared the costs and efficacy of three methods of noise reduction in pile driving: bubble curtains, modifications to the pile hammer, and pile sleeves. Bubble curtain technologies compared design, diameter, air supply, water depth, and noise reduction. The EGS Bubble Curtain was larger than other bubble curtains, with comparable noise reduction.

Würsig et al. (2000) developed a 25m radius bubble curtain using hose with 3mm holes every 0.3-0.4m through which air was emitted at 20m^3/minute. The sound reduction produced was evaluated for curtain application around a pile driving operation in Hong Kong in April 1996. Noise reductions ranging from 5 to 20 dB were observed, with the greatest reductions in the 1 - 6 kHz frequency range.

Read less
Nehls et al. 2007, Würsig et al. 2000
Monitoring

Land-based

Operation
Turbine Collision

Birds, Bats
U.S. Geological Survey and partners
Evidence of Absence

Evidence of Absence is a software package that is used to address whether the number of fatalities (typically of a rare species or species of concern) at a wind power facility is below a given threshold and what search parameters are needed to give assurance that thresholds were not exceeded.

Software

Large-Scale Field Study

Dalthorp and Huso (2015) rigorously tested Evidence of Absence against several hypothetical scenarios. They examined the accuracy and precision of triggers and their sensitivity to input parameters.

Dalthorp and Huso 2015
Mitigation

Offshore

Operation
Habitat Change

Fish
Exo Engineering
ExoReef

ExoReefs are custom-designed artificial reefs created to enhance biodiversity at offshore wind farms. Constructed using sustainable low-carbon concrete alternatives and recycled aggregates, they offer essential habitat for juvenile fish and provide surfaces for reef-building organisms.

Placed on floor of offshore wind farms

No available documents.
Mitigation

Offshore

Construction
Noise

Marine Mammals, Fish, Marine Reptiles
Menck
Fire-Hose System

The Menck fire-hose system aims to reduce the noise generated by pile driving through use of a two-layer curtain made of inflated, vertically arranged fire-hoses. Sound attenuation occurs due to the physical disruption to sound wave propagation created by the oscillating bubbles.

Fire-hose system applied around the monopile during construction and removed after pile driving is complete. The system is inflated once applied to the monopile.

Large-Scale Field Study

Wilke et al. (2012) evaluated various techniques for the reduction of noise in offshore wind turbine pile driving in a field study in Lübeck Bay, Germany.

Wilke et al. 2012
Monitoring

Offshore

Planning, Construction
Attraction, Avoidance, Noise

Birds
Wedge Global
FLOating RAdar (FLORA)

The FLOating Radar (FLORA) is an industrial-scale prototype of a purpose-built, self-powered, oceanic multi-use platform (MUP) with bird detection capabilities....Read more

The FLOating Radar (FLORA) is an industrial-scale prototype of a purpose-built, self-powered, oceanic multi-use platform (MUP) with bird detection capabilities. Equipped with a novel sensor suite, FLORA will be deployable as a low environmental impact system for bird and biodiversity data acquisition which is critical to Marine Spatial Planning.

Read less

Free-standing tower with an integrated wave energy converter, wind, and solar to power the device.

No available documents.
Monitoring

Offshore

Planning, Construction, Operation, Decommissioning
Turbine Collision, Attraction, Avoidance

Birds, Bats, Marine Mammals, Fish
Akrocean
Fly'rsea

Fly'rsea is a floating RaDAR system powered by clean energy (wave and solar) with 365/7 supervision at an Land-based control center. The system is designed for environmental assessment of a range of species and environmental parameters.

Independent buoys on offshore wind farms

Pilot Field Study

Northeastern University (2019) discusses Fly'rsea and the challenges with floating radars for offshore wind farms.

Northeastern University 2019
Monitoring

Land-based

Operation
Turbine Collision

Birds, Bats
U.S. Geological Survey and partners
GenEst

GenEst is a software package used to estimate the probability of detecting a bird or bat killed at a wind facility, and then to combine the probability of detection with the observed count of carcasses to ultimately estimate total mortality.

Software

Large-Scale Field Study

Rabie et al. (2021) compared the performance of GenEst to the Huso and Shoenfeld estimators by simulating mortality and search conditions that might occur in in the field and evaluating each estimator’s ability to accurately estimate a known carcass count.

Rabie et al. 2021
Monitoring

Offshore

Construction, Operation
Noise

Marine Mammals, Fish
SubSeaSail (SSS)
HORUS™

HORUS™ is an unmanned autonomous uncrewed surface vessel (USV). HORUS™ vessel (32 kg) is available now for surface monitoring around offshore wind farms. With a monohull design and includes a passive acoustic array.

Free moving USV

No available documents.
Mitigation

Offshore

Construction
Noise

Marine Mammals, Fish, Marine Reptiles
OffNoise - Solutions
Hydro-Sound-Damper System (HSD)

The Hydro Sound Damper System intends to reduce the noise produced during pile driving in offshore wind turbine installation....Read more

The Hydro Sound Damper System intends to reduce the noise produced during pile driving in offshore wind turbine installation. It consists of layers of netting containing air filled envelopes, rubber, and polyethylene foam elements that surround the monopile and physically disrupt sound waves from pile driving.

Read less

Hydro Sound Dampener installed around the monopile during pile driving. Netting is initially fixed to the sea bottom and then stretched to the surface due to buoyancy forces.

Large-Scale Field Study

Elmer (2018): With a Hydro Sound Damper (HSD) in place, sound was measured at a distance of 6m from the pile, 4m above ground, to record sound levels during pile driving in the German Baltic Sea....Read more

Elmer (2018): With a Hydro Sound Damper (HSD) in place, sound was measured at a distance of 6m from the pile, 4m above ground, to record sound levels during pile driving in the German Baltic Sea. Results (a 23dB reduction in noise level) indicated 99.5% of the whole sound energy was damped out by the HSD net.

Elmer et al. (2014) evaluated the noise reduction capacity of the Hydro Sound Dampener during the installation of offshore wind turbines at several locations including the London Array wind farm (Great Britain) and the Amrumbank-West wind farm (Germany) in the North Sea.

Read less
Elmer 2018, Elmer and Savery 2014
Monitoring

Land-based, Offshore

Operation
Turbine Collision

Birds, Bats
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research
ID-Stat

ID-Stat is a monitoring system which aims to use microphones placed within turbine blades to record bird or bat collisions. The system consists of microphones and software which automatically records detected collisions.

Microphones installed within turbine blades and accompanying software

Small-Scale Field Study

Delprat et al. (2011) presented the concept of the ID stat system at the Conference on Wind energy and Wildlife impacts in Norway in May 2011. A small scale study of the technology was scheduled for March 2012 at an Land-based wind turbine.

...Read more

Delprat et al. (2011) presented the concept of the ID stat system at the Conference on Wind energy and Wildlife impacts in Norway in May 2011. A small scale study of the technology was scheduled for March 2012 at an Land-based wind turbine.

Delprat & Alcuri (2011) presented at the Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife Impacts on the 2nd-5th of May 2011, in Trondheim, Norway.

Read less
Collier et al. 2011, Delprat and Alcuri 2011
Monitoring, Mitigation

Land-based

Operation
Turbine Collision

Birds
IdentiFlight International
IdentiFlight

IdentiFlight aims to combine optical systems with machine vision and AI software to monitor and minimize bird collisions at wind turbines. The IdentiFlight towers operate as an autonomous system with overlapping aerial coverage for detailed viewing....Read more

IdentiFlight aims to combine optical systems with machine vision and AI software to monitor and minimize bird collisions at wind turbines. The IdentiFlight towers operate as an autonomous system with overlapping aerial coverage for detailed viewing. Proprietary software and neural network technologies process the images to determine 3D position, velocity, trajectory, and protected species of interest. IdentiFlight has a curtailment module which analyzes birds' flight paths in relation to surrounding wind turbines and determines whether to curtail.

Read less

Autonomous towers in vicinity of wind turbine

Large-Scale Field Study

Duerr et al. (2023) analyzed the effectiveness of IdentiFlight system's ability to identify different bird species at the Manzana Wind project, in Kern County, California (US) from June 2018 - 2019.

...Read more

Duerr et al. (2023) analyzed the effectiveness of IdentiFlight system's ability to identify different bird species at the Manzana Wind project, in Kern County, California (US) from June 2018 - 2019.

Huso & Dalthorp (2023) assessed Identiflight's ability to reduce eagle mortality at Campbell Hill wind farm in Wyoming (US) from August 2018 - 2022.

Rogers (2022) evaluated the efficacy of the Identiflight Avian Detection System at the Castle Hill Wind Farm in Tasmania from August 2020 to February 2022.

McClure et al. (2022) evaluated IdentiFlight's ability to mitigate collision mortality of bald and golden eagles at a wind facility in Wyoming (US).

Rolek et al. (2022) evaluated Identiflight at Top of the World Wind Power Facility in Wyoming (US) from May 2018 to March 2019 and at The Manzana Wind Power Project, in Kern County, California (US) from June 2018 to March 2020.

Aschwanden et al. (2020) monitored bird movements to assess the effectiveness of the IdentiFlight system at the Wind Energy Research Cluster South in Stötten, Germany between April and May 2020.

McClure et al. (2018) used human observation to test and compare the ability of IdentiFlight to detect, classify, and track birds at the Top of the World wind farm in Wyoming (US) from August to September 2016.

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Duerr et al. 2023, Huso and Dalthorp 2023, Rogers 2022, McClure et al. 2022, Rolek et al. 2022, Aschwanden and Liechti 2020, McClure et al. 2018, Reichenbach 2023, Reichenbach et al. 2021
Monitoring

Land-based, Offshore

Planning, Operation
Attraction, Avoidance, Displacement, Turbine Collision

Bats
PNNL
Injectable RF Bat Tags

The injectible radio-frequency Bat Tags come in three different designs and aim to use a 3D tracking algorithm to track bat movement. The first design is intended for the endangered Myotis species and minimizes transmitter size and weight: 0.16 grams and 10-km detection range....Read more

The injectible radio-frequency Bat Tags come in three different designs and aim to use a 3D tracking algorithm to track bat movement. The first design is intended for the endangered Myotis species and minimizes transmitter size and weight: 0.16 grams and 10-km detection range. The second design is intended for hoary, eastern red, and silver-haired bats and prioritizes service life while staying under 5% tag-burden guidelines: 0.4 grams and >20-km detection range. The third design is intended to study potential attraction of bats to wind turbines and fine-scale movements across one or more wind farms and prioritizes detection range while keeping a reasonable size and weight: 0.6 grams and >20-km detection range.

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Transmitters attached to animals, receivers located in the vicinity of the turbine

Pilot Field Study

Deng et al. (2021) designed a animal tracking transmitter with the goal of reducing weight and increasing transmission range. Drones were used to assess the effective range of the transmitter near Richland, Washington (US) in December 2021.

...Read more

Deng et al. (2021) designed a animal tracking transmitter with the goal of reducing weight and increasing transmission range. Drones were used to assess the effective range of the transmitter near Richland, Washington (US) in December 2021.

Deng et al (2019) implemented three designs of animal tracking transmitters aimed at tracking bats for applications in wind energy. Lab scale testing and algorithm validation were undertaken in 2018.

Read less
Lu et al. 2021, Deng et al. 2021
Mitigation

Offshore

Construction
Noise

Marine Mammals, Fish
IQIP
Integrated Monopile Installer

The integrated monopile installer is a double-wall steel tube with a protected bubble curtain between the tube and driving pile. The system is placed over the pile and is effective along the entire length of the water column at the pile. Formally known as the Noise Mitigation Screen.

Wraps around pile during installation

Large-Scale Field Study

Koschinski & Lüdemann (2020) discuss the first commercial application of the Integrated Monopile Installer in 2012 at the German OWF Riffgat in the North Sea. Since then the Integrated Monopile Installer has been used on over 450 piles....Read more

Koschinski & Lüdemann (2020) discuss the first commercial application of the Integrated Monopile Installer in 2012 at the German OWF Riffgat in the North Sea. Since then the Integrated Monopile Installer has been used on over 450 piles. Noise reduction was decreased to a range of 13 to 16 dBSEL.

Rose et al. (2019) analyzed data collected during the construction of Gescha 1 & 2 from 2010 to 2016 to investigate the effects of different types of noise mitigation on harbour porpoises.

Read less
Koschinski and Lüdemann 2020, Rose et al. 2019
Monitoring

Offshore

Construction, Operation, Decommissioning
Noise

Marine Mammals
Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) Consulting on behalf of the Scottish Government
iPCoD (interim Population Consequences of Disturbance)

iPCoD is a modeling approach (R package) for assessing and quantifying the potential consequences for marine mammal populations of any disturbance and/or injury that may result from offshore energy developments....Read more

iPCoD is a modeling approach (R package) for assessing and quantifying the potential consequences for marine mammal populations of any disturbance and/or injury that may result from offshore energy developments. It is designed to use the information likely to be provided by developers in their Environmental Statements and Habitats Regulations Assessments.

Read less

Software installed on the developers offsite computer

Large-Scale Field Study

Booth et al. (2013) illustrate how the iPCoD protocol can be used to consider the potential effects of constructing two hypothetical wind farms off the Aberdeenshire coast on the five priority species over two years in their relevant management units....Read more

Booth et al. (2013) illustrate how the iPCoD protocol can be used to consider the potential effects of constructing two hypothetical wind farms off the Aberdeenshire coast on the five priority species over two years in their relevant management units. Additionally, they investigate the cumulative effects of the simultaneous operation of a hypothetical tidal energy installation.

Read less
Booth et al. 2013
Monitoring, Mitigation

Land-based, Offshore

Planning, Construction, Operation, Decommissioning
Turbine Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change

Bats, Birds, Amphibians, Terrestrial Mammals
WildLife Acoustics
Kaleidoscope Software

Kaleidoscope Pro is a sound analysis software that identifies animal vocalizations from recordings. The SMART feature provides a simulation of SMART System alarms based on pre-recorded bat activity....Read more

Kaleidoscope Pro is a sound analysis software that identifies animal vocalizations from recordings. The SMART feature provides a simulation of SMART System alarms based on pre-recorded bat activity. The output file indicates timestamps of when any of 16 pass/pulse alarms are activated or cleared. A Bat Auto-ID feature analyzes recordings of bat echolocations and automatically suggests species identifications. Kaleidoscope Pro’s Cluster Analysis uses sophisticated pattern recognition algorithms to automatically scan wildlife audio recordings for vocalizations. The Sound Level Analysis feature analyzes the noise spectrum, including weighted SPL and SEL measurements and third octave band analysis.

Read less

Software operated on computer

Large-Scale Field Study

McKay et al. (2024) described bat community dynamics at a Norwegian wind farm located in boreal forest. They used Kaleidoscope Pro to process bat acoustic data collected between July - September in 2020. They found evidence to suggest possible direct and indirect effects to bat communities.

...Read more

McKay et al. (2024) described bat community dynamics at a Norwegian wind farm located in boreal forest. They used Kaleidoscope Pro to process bat acoustic data collected between July - September in 2020. They found evidence to suggest possible direct and indirect effects to bat communities.

Peterson et al. (2021) investigated whether acoustic bat data collected at wind farms can provide accurate measures of bat fatality risk. They used Kaleidoscope Pro to analyze bat acoustic data collected at the New Creek wind farm in West Virginia in September 2011 and May 2017. They found that measuring exposure of acoustic bat activity provided a quantitative basis for designing, evaluating, and adaptively managing curtailment strategies.

Richardson et al. (2021) assessed bat activity at paired turbine and control locations at 23 British wind farms. They used Kaleidoscope Pro to process bat calls and classify calls to species level. P. pipistrellus activity was 37% higher at turbines than at control locations, which may explain why Environmental Impact Assessments conducted before the installation of turbines are poor predictors of actual fatality rates.

Read less
McKay et al. 2024, Peterson et al. 2021, Richardson et al. 2021
Monitoring

Land-based, Offshore

Construction, Operation, Planning
Turbine Collision, Displacement, Attraction, Avoidance

Birds, Bats
Furuno radars, DHI (software)
LAWR (Local Area Weather Radar)

LAWR is a limited range X-Band radar system commonly used for meteorological observations but which has been considered as a system for detecting birds and bats in the proximity of operational wind turbines.

Radar mounted in proximity of turbines, software to process imagery (BirdTrack, BirdWatch)

Large-Scale Field Study

Skov et al. (2009) utilized a LAWR system to collect data on the long-distance migration of waterbirds across Horns Rev. The monitoring system was deployed at an offshore wind farm in Denmark from September to November of 2008.

Skov et al. 2009
Mitigation

Offshore

Construction, Operation
Habitat Change

Habitat, Fish, Ecosystem Processes
Reef Ball™
Layer Cake

Layer Cakes are concrete structures which aim to facilitate reef growth and provide shelter for benthic animals. The structures consist of tiered, cylindrical levels which provide alcoves and increased surface area to facilitate reef establishment.

Placed around the base of offshore wind turbines, typically in groupings

Large-Scale Field Study

Hylkema et al. (2023) compared two types of artificial reefs in the Caribbean (2018) by examining fish assemblage, territorial behavior and grazing intensity between reef balls and layered cakes.

...Read more

Hylkema et al. (2023) compared two types of artificial reefs in the Caribbean (2018) by examining fish assemblage, territorial behavior and grazing intensity between reef balls and layered cakes.

Hylkema et al. (2020) compared three types of artificial reefs in the Caribbean (2018) by examining the early fish colonization rates between reef balls, layered cakes, and piles of local basaltic rocks.

Read less
Hylkema et al. 2023, Hylkema et al. 2020
Monitoring

Land-based, Offshore

Planning, Operation
Turbine Collision

Birds, Bats
Lotek Wireless
Lotek Tags

Lotek supplies a variety of avian, terrestrial marine, and freshwater tags. Avian coded VHF tags enable researchers to discover migratory movements of small birds and bats through the Motus network. Tags can be used to establish the presence and absence of individuals at points of interest....Read more

Lotek supplies a variety of avian, terrestrial marine, and freshwater tags. Avian coded VHF tags enable researchers to discover migratory movements of small birds and bats through the Motus network. Tags can be used to establish the presence and absence of individuals at points of interest. Some available avian tags include NanoTag Solar, NanoPin, Sunbird Solar Argos Transmitters, and VHF Avian Tags, among others.

Read less

Deployed on animal

Pilot Field Study

Loring et al. (2021) measured the movements and flight altitudes of 12 species of shorebirds using VHF transmitters, tracked using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System....Read more

Loring et al. (2021) measured the movements and flight altitudes of 12 species of shorebirds using VHF transmitters, tracked using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. The Motus Wildlife Tracking System has extensive coverage from automated radio telemetry stations distributed across Eastern North America and additional coverage at key shorebird sites from Arctic Canada to South America. This study aimed to provide information on offshore movements and flight altitudes of high-priority bird species in order to inform decisions on the development of offshore wind energy facilities in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf.

Loring et al. (2019) used digital VHF transmitters (NanoTags) to track the offshore movements of three bird species over Federal waters and Wind Energy Areas. Lotek tags were helpful in assessing collision risks in Wind Energy Areas by tracking frequency and extent of offshore movements of these bird species.

Read less
Loring et al. 2021, Loring et al. 2019
Monitoring, Mitigation

Offshore

Construction, Operation
Vessel Collision

Marine Mammals
Toyon
Marine Observer – Maritime Infrared Camera System with AI

Marine Observer is a maritime infrared camera and proprietary detection software system that reduces the risk of vessel strikes on whales, marine mammals and other objects and automatically detect marine mammals, vessels or other targets....Read more

Marine Observer is a maritime infrared camera and proprietary detection software system that reduces the risk of vessel strikes on whales, marine mammals and other objects and automatically detect marine mammals, vessels or other targets. This weatherproof camera module consists of multiple uncooled long-wave infrared camera cores, each with a resolution of 640x512 pixels at 30fps with 90FOV.

Read less

Mounted on a vessel or land-based platform

Small-Scale Field Study

Guazzo et al. (2019) explored the use of Toyon Research Corporation's detection system to observe North Pacific gray whales....Read more

Guazzo et al. (2019) explored the use of Toyon Research Corporation's detection system to observe North Pacific gray whales. They used a combination of visual sightings, acoustic calls, and infrared camera data on blow detections to calculate the cue rates of migrating eastern North Pacific gray whales in January 2015

Read less
Guazzo et al. 2019
Monitoring

Land-based, Offshore

Operation, Planning
Turbine Collision

Birds, Bats
DeTect
Merlin Avian Radar System

The MERLIN Avian Radar System is designed to use horizontal and vertical radar to determine the flight path of birds and bats with the intent of capturing flight data. The radar system can be adjusted to remain within a user-assigned perimeter....Read more

The MERLIN Avian Radar System is designed to use horizontal and vertical radar to determine the flight path of birds and bats with the intent of capturing flight data. The radar system can be adjusted to remain within a user-assigned perimeter. The system consists of radar hardware and bird tracking software for automatic registration of bird echos and for data collection during day and night.

Read less

Radar system located in the vicinity of the turbine or mounted vertically on tower

Large-Scale Field Study

May et al. (2017) evaluated the detection ranges of the MERLIN Avian Radar by using an unmanned aerial vehicle to simulate various flight patterns and bird sizes. The study took place off the coast of Central Norway in August 2009.

...Read more

May et al. (2017) evaluated the detection ranges of the MERLIN Avian Radar by using an unmanned aerial vehicle to simulate various flight patterns and bird sizes. The study took place off the coast of Central Norway in August 2009.

Skov et al. (2016) utilized the MERLIN Avian Radar in a study of soaring migrants and their attraction to an offshore wind farm in Denmark during the autumn raptor migration in 2010 and 2011.

Fijn et al. (2015) implemented the MERLIN Avian Radar system at the Dutch offshore wind farm Egmond aan Zee from June 2007 to May 2010 in order to study bird flight intensity in the rotor swept zone (25m-115m) over the North Sea. The Merlin system was used to observe fluxes as well as flight altitudes and paths.

Krijgsveld et al. (2011) studied the collision risks and barrier effects of birds due to the Offshore Wind farm Egmond aan Zee in the Netherlands using the MERLIN Avian Radar System between April 2007 and June 2010.

Read less
Fijn et al. 2015, May et al. 2017, Skov et al. 2016, Krijgsveld et al. 2011
Monitoring

Land-based, Offshore

Operation, Planning
Turbine Collision, Displacement

Birds
DHI Group
MUSE: Multi-Sensor bird detection

The Multi-Sensor bird detection system MUSE uses a combination of horizontal radar with infrared and visual cameras in order to detect and record flying birds in the proximity of a wind turbine....Read more

The Multi-Sensor bird detection system MUSE uses a combination of horizontal radar with infrared and visual cameras in order to detect and record flying birds in the proximity of a wind turbine. The system is used by an offshore wind farms in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States to monitor bird interactions with wind turbines.

Read less

Horizontal radar and cameras located in the vicinity of wind turbines

Small-Scale Field Study

Lagerveld et al. (2020) evaluated various technologies developed to detect bird and bat collisions with wind turbines.

Lagerveld et al. 2020
Monitoring, Mitigation

Offshore

Planning, Construction, Operation, Decommissioning
Attraction, Avoidance, Lighting, Noise, Turbine Collision, Vessel Collision, Vibration

Bats, Birds, Fish, Habitat, Marine Mammals, Marine Reptiles
Mysticetus
Mysticetus

Mysticetus is a comprehensive software suite designed to optimize real-time monitoring, mitigation, and analysis for protecting marine environments during offshore operations....Read more

Mysticetus is a comprehensive software suite designed to optimize real-time monitoring, mitigation, and analysis for protecting marine environments during offshore operations. Mysticetus seamlessly integrates data from diverse sources—including human observers, infrared cameras, electronic monitoring equipment, and external databases—providing a centralized platform for informed decision-making. Mysticetus offers an Automated Data Integrity Service, which includes streamlined workflows for data quality control, automated verification processes, and simplified reporting procedures, ensuring both data integrity and regulatory compliance. Furthermore, Mysticetus enables sophisticated spatial-temporal analysis to identify trends, patterns, and potential risks to marine life. Importantly, data captured in Mysticetus is easily leveraged for future permitting needs. Mysticetus OnCloud's powerful query engine streamlines the process for subsequent projects, making it a valuable tool for long-term environmental stewardship. Mysticetus is effectively mitigating environmental impacts in offshore wind energy, oil & gas exploration, and marine construction projects.

Read less

On vessel, platform, or ROV/surface vehicle.

Large-Scale Field Study

Smith et al. (2020) conducted a field comparison of real-time detections made by marine mammal observers using Mysticetus, a rotating infrared camera, and via passive acoustic monitoring offshore Atlantic Canada.

Smith et al. 2020
Monitoring

Offshore

Planning, Construction, Operation, Decommissioning
Noise

Marine Mammals
Mseis
Night Hawk III

The Night Hawk series is a product line of passive acoustic monitoring sensors that can detect ultrasonic vocalizations up to 180KHz

Can be configured for short or long length towed arrays

Small-Scale Field Study

Verfuss et al. (2017) compared and discussed a variety of methods suitable for monitoring marine mammals in low visibility conditions during seismic surveys, including the Night Hawk system.

...Read more

Verfuss et al. (2017) compared and discussed a variety of methods suitable for monitoring marine mammals in low visibility conditions during seismic surveys, including the Night Hawk system.

Moron et al. (2018) recorded Clymene dolphin whistles in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean in 2016 using a Night Hawk III four-element towed array.

Read less
Verfuss et al. 2018
Monitoring

Offshore

Planning, Construction, Operation, Decommissioning
Noise

Marine Mammals
Mseis
Night Hawk III

The Night Hawk series is a product line of passive acoustic monitoring sensors that can detect ultrasonic vocalizations up to 180KHz

Can be configured for short or long length towed arrays

Small-Scale Field Study

Verfuss et al. (2017) compared and discussed a variety of methods suitable for monitoring marine mammals in low visibility conditions during seismic surveys, including the Night Hawk system.

...Read more

Verfuss et al. (2017) compared and discussed a variety of methods suitable for monitoring marine mammals in low visibility conditions during seismic surveys, including the Night Hawk system.

Moron et al. (2018) recorded Clymene dolphin whistles in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean in 2016 using a Night Hawk III four-element towed array.

Read less
Verfuss et al. 2018, Klinck et al. 2021
Mitigation, Monitoring

Offshore

Construction, Operation
Vessel Collision

Marine Mammals
Current Scientific Corporation
Night Navigator

There are multiple Night Navigator camera systems, the exact specifications of which vary depending on the system. Multiple sensor configurations are available in both uncooled and cooled thermal imaging, offering a broad range of fields of view or levels of optical zoom....Read more

There are multiple Night Navigator camera systems, the exact specifications of which vary depending on the system. Multiple sensor configurations are available in both uncooled and cooled thermal imaging, offering a broad range of fields of view or levels of optical zoom. Each payload is gyro-stabilized with the ability to continuously pan through a full 360°, meaning that a target being tracked can be kept in view without interruption.

Read less

Mounted to ship

Small-Scale Field Study

Smultea et al. (2020) used a variety of monitoring technologies to observe protected species as part of a vessel survey of the Revolution Wind Lease Area in September 2019 - 2020. Night Navigator was used in tandem with 7 other monitoring technologies.

Smultea et al. 2020
Mitigation

Offshore

Construction
Noise

Marine Mammals, Fish, Marine Reptiles
AdBm Technologies
Noise Mitigation System

The AdBm Noise Mitigation System aims to reduce the noise produced by pile driving during offshore wind turbine installation. The system consists of Hemholtz resonators contained in a slatted system which unfolds around the monopile during deployment.

Noise Mitigation System surrounds the monopile during pile driving. The system is unfolded in a similar fashion to venetian blinds

Large-Scale Field Study

Elzinga et al. (2019) tested the Noise Mitigation System at the Butendiek and Luchterduinen Offshore Wind Parks in the Netherlands in the fall of 2018.

...Read more

Elzinga et al. (2019) tested the Noise Mitigation System at the Butendiek and Luchterduinen Offshore Wind Parks in the Netherlands in the fall of 2018.

Wochner (2019) discussed the three approaches to reducing noise from pile driving: reducing at the source, breaking the transmissions path, and noise absorption.

Read less
Elzinga et al. 2019, Wochner 2019
Mitigation

Land-based

Planning, Operation
Turbine Collision

Birds
NREL
NREL-Stochastic Soaring Raptor Simulator

SSRS (Stochastic Soaring Raptor Simulator) is a generalizable, probabilistic, predictive model that estimates the potential for collisions between soaring raptors (particularly golden eagles, which rely heavily on updrafts to subsidize flight) to interact with operating wind turbines, without the...Read more

SSRS (Stochastic Soaring Raptor Simulator) is a generalizable, probabilistic, predictive model that estimates the potential for collisions between soaring raptors (particularly golden eagles, which rely heavily on updrafts to subsidize flight) to interact with operating wind turbines, without the need for site-specific data collection. The model uses publicly available wind condition data and ground surface information, combined with energy-minimization principles to simulate thousands of eagles at turbine-scale resolution (50 m) and generate a soaring raptor density map. Model outputs may be used to inform pre-construction studies and siting decisions.

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Open source modeling tool

Laboratory

Sandhu et al. (2022) simulated golden eagle flight paths using an updraft field. Model results were validated with golden eagle telemetry data from a study location containing three wind power plants in Casper, Wyoming (US) for years 2019 and 2020.

Sandhu et al. 2022
Monitoring, Mitigation

Land-based, Offshore

Operation
Turbine Collision

Birds, Bats
nvisionist
nvbird

nvbird aims to use a machine learning algorithm in collaboration with HD cameras to recognize the protected birds, analyze their flight path, and deter them with special sounds. If the incoming bird is not deterred the system is intended to stop the wind generator until the birds fly away.

Even with blade tips on the tower

No available documents.
Mitigation

Offshore

Operation
Habitat Change

Invertebrates
Van Oord - Marine Ingenuity
Oyster tables

Oyster tables are artificial reef structures or platforms designed to support the growth and restoration of oyster populations. These structures can be deployed around offshore wind farms to enhance marine biodiversity, improve water quality, and provide habitat for various marine species.

Materials are deployed on the seafloor around wind turbine foundations

Pilot Field Study

Didderen et al. (202) describe a pilot restoration project using oyster tables at the offshore Windpark Eneco Luchterduinen in the Netherlands in 2022. They looked at environmental consequences, lessons learned, and applicability for scalability of the technique.

Didderen et al. 2019
Monitoring

Offshore

Construction, Operation, Planning
Noise, Avoidance, Cumulative Effects, Displacement

Marine Mammals
MTC Media
PAMGuard

Freely available, open source PAMGuard software is designed to aid in the analysis of passive acoustic monitoring data. The software aims to detect, locate, and classify marine mammals from the sounds they produce.

PAMGuard analyzes passive acoustic monitoring data

Large-Scale Field Study

Clausen et al. (2019) examined the performance of different passive acoustic monitoring filters and detectors in varying ocean noise environments....Read more

Clausen et al. (2019) examined the performance of different passive acoustic monitoring filters and detectors in varying ocean noise environments. The PAMGuard system was used to analyse harbour porpoise clicks and ambient noise data collected in the spring of 2013 and summer of 2014 in the west of Denmark.

Sarnocinska et al. (2017) observed harbor porpoises in the Danish Great and Little Belts between June and November, 2015 with C-PODS and PAMGuard. The accuracy of both methods was compared.

Keating et al. (2013) describe the beaked whale detectors and classifiers used during beaked whale surveys in Southern California (US) in the summer and fall of 2012.

Yack et al. (2009) evaluated the efficacy of using PAMGuard software (version 1.0) to detect cetaceans in marine environments by comparing manual detections to those made by PAMGuard during a SWFSC dolphin survey conducted in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean from 20 August to 28 November, 2007.

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Clausen et al. 2019, Sarnocinska et al. 2016, Keating and Barlow 2013, Yack et al. 2009
Monitoring, Mitigation

Land-based

Operation
Turbine Collision

Bats
Windenergie & Fledermausschutz
ProBat

ProBat is software originally developed at the University of Erlangen for calculating site-specific shutdown algorithms for bat-friendly operation of wind turbines (WEA). The aim is to limit the number of bat strikes per facility and year to the value set by the authorities....Read more

ProBat is software originally developed at the University of Erlangen for calculating site-specific shutdown algorithms for bat-friendly operation of wind turbines (WEA). The aim is to limit the number of bat strikes per facility and year to the value set by the authorities. In contrast to blanket shutdown times, ProBat can be used to calculate site-specific cut-in wind speeds (start-up wind speeds) depending on the level of actual bat activity on site. ProBat is based on extensive research into bat protection at wind turbines in the RENEBAT projects.

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Audio recorder (Batcorder) placed in a wind turbine's nacelle and external software operated on a computer

Large-Scale Field Study

Johst, A. (2022) discussed the data collected by ProBat and compared several software applications used for bat monitoring.

Johst 2022
Monitoring, Mitigation

Land-based, Offshore

Operation
Turbine Collision

Bats
Sens of Life
Probat: Bats monitoring and mitigation

ProBat is a software and sensor package that uses real-time bat data from a Track Bat sensor and real-time sada weather data combined with theoretical risk data for both bats and weather to train an AI to prevent bat contact....Read more

ProBat is a software and sensor package that uses real-time bat data from a Track Bat sensor and real-time sada weather data combined with theoretical risk data for both bats and weather to train an AI to prevent bat contact. ProBat's neural networks are constantly reinforced by supervised machine learning.

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Either integrated in a wind turbine nacelle or mounted on a meteorological tower

No available documents.
Monitoring, Mitigation

Land-based, Offshore

Construction, Operation, Decommissioning
Turbine Collision

Birds
Sens of Life
ProBird

ProBird is a system for detecting birds, documenting flight behavior, and mitigating collision at wind farms. High sensitivity IP cameras are fixed to wind turbines and arranged to provide several panoramic views of the wind farm....Read more

ProBird is a system for detecting birds, documenting flight behavior, and mitigating collision at wind farms. High sensitivity IP cameras are fixed to wind turbines and arranged to provide several panoramic views of the wind farm. Infrared camera options are available for nocturnal monitoring. The video streams provided by these cameras are stacked and used to record raw bird activity. An algorithm detects motion and applies a quick size filter, removes turbine blades from view, performs a shape analysis to reject clouds and vegetation motion, and performs a risk analysis through use of a neural network. These analyses identify level of risk of possible collision events. In the event of a possible collision, one of two responses is triggered: an acoustic warning or an event-related shutdown of the turbine.

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On turbines, integrated with turbine control system

Large-Scale Field Study

Lagrange and Rico (2019) compared bird detection via the ProBird algorithm with human-identified detection of the collected video from 10 wind farms in France and Germany.

Lagrange and Rico 2019
Mitigation

Offshore

Construction, Operation
Noise

Marine Mammals
IQIP
PULSE

PULSE is a noise dampening system positioned between a hydraulic hammer and its sleeve, which mitigates noise and fatigue in offshore wind monopile installation....Read more

PULSE is a noise dampening system positioned between a hydraulic hammer and its sleeve, which mitigates noise and fatigue in offshore wind monopile installation. It can reduce the SEL of conventional hammers with 6-10dB and the SPL with 5-12dB, resulting in less noise and impact to marine life.

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Add-on system placed between a hydraulic hammer and its sleeve

No available documents.
Monitoring

Offshore

Planning, Construction, Operation, Decommissioning
Noise

Marine Mammals
Sercel
QUIETSEA

Quietsea is a Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) device that enables the detection of acoustic signals of marine mammals, such as whales, while preserving the underwater environment....Read more

Quietsea is a Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) device that enables the detection of acoustic signals of marine mammals, such as whales, while preserving the underwater environment. It provides real-time monitoring to detect the presence of marine mammals in advance of noisy maritime operations.

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Versatile deployment opportunities

Small-Scale Field Study

L'Her et al. (2017) demonstrated the performance of QUIETSEA to detect humpback whale vocalizations and the automatic localization of sperm whales clicks trains in waters offshore of Brazil in 2016.

L'Her et al. 2017
Mitigation

Offshore

Construction, Operation
Habitat Change

Fish, Ecosystem Processes, Habitat, Invertebrates
ARC Marine
Reef cube®

Reef cubes are concrete structures which aim to provide artificial reef structure and shelter for benthic animals. Reef cubes consist of materials developed to facilitate reef establishment. Configuration depends on the target species or habitat.

Reef cubes placed around turbine foundation

Small-Scale Field Study

Bureau Waardenburg (2020) conducted a survey of reef establishment techniques in the interest of enhancing ecosystem health around wind farms in the North Sea. Artificial reef structures such as reef cubes were included in the "toolbox" discussed.

...Read more

Bureau Waardenburg (2020) conducted a survey of reef establishment techniques in the interest of enhancing ecosystem health around wind farms in the North Sea. Artificial reef structures such as reef cubes were included in the "toolbox" discussed.

Brock et al. (1989) compared the efficacy of four artificial reef structures in establishing reef habitat over 12 years off of Oahu, Hawaii (US).

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Bureau Waardenburg bv 2020, Brock and Norris 1989
Mitigation

Offshore

Construction, Operation
Habitat Change

Habitat, Fish, Marine Reptiles, Ecosystem Processes
Reef Ball Foundation
ReefBalls

Reef Balls are concrete structures which aim to facilitate reef growth and provide shelter for benthic animals. Reef Balls consist of materials designed to facilitate reef establishment and are typically placed in groupings to initiate reef establishment.

Placed around the base of offshore wind turbines


Del Vita (2016) conducted hydraulic analysis of reef balls in a flume at the University of Naples.

Scyphers et al. (2015) compared the habitat value of oyster shell bags and Reef Balls along eroding coastline in Alabama (US) over the course of two years.

...Read more

Del Vita (2016) conducted hydraulic analysis of reef balls in a flume at the University of Naples.

Scyphers et al. (2015) compared the habitat value of oyster shell bags and Reef Balls along eroding coastline in Alabama (US) over the course of two years.

Langhamer et al. (2012) evaluated the state of artificial reef technology as it relates to the development of marine energy resources. Reef Balls were considered in their application around the base of marine energy infrastructure projects.

Wilson (2007) discussed benthic habitat changes expected in the development of offshore wind turbine. Measures for improving habitat such as artificial reef structures and scour protection measures were also discussed.

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ILARIA DEL VITA 2016, Scyphers et al. 2015, Langhamer 2012, Wilson 2007
Monitoring

Land-based

Construction, Operation, Planning
Turbine Collision

Bats
Normandeau Associates
Remote Bat Acoustic Technology (ReBAT®) System

The ReBAT® system uses a full-spectrum AR125 microphone (Binary Acoustic Technology, LLC) with the intent of classifying bat calls with a combination of manual expert analysis and SonoBatTM software (SonoBat, Arcata, CA) automated analysis.

Acoustic detectors mounted on the nacelle


Rabie et al. (2022) used ReBat as part of a Turbine Integrated Mortality Reduction (TIMR) system-curtailed turbines on 10 turbines at a wind farm in Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin (US) in 2008-2009.

...Read more

Rabie et al. (2022) used ReBat as part of a Turbine Integrated Mortality Reduction (TIMR) system-curtailed turbines on 10 turbines at a wind farm in Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin (US) in 2008-2009.

Foo et al. (2017) used Rebat on two operational wind turbines at Wolf Ridge Wind farm in the southern Great Plains (US) from July 2010 - 2011 to look at bat mortality rates and forging habits in proximity to wind farms.

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Rabie et al. 2022, Hale et al. 2017
Monitoring, Mitigation

Land-based, Offshore

Planning, Construction, Operation, Decommissioning
Turbine Collision

Birds
Robin Radar
Robin Radar 3D Flex system

Robin Radar's 3D Flex system consists of a horizontal S-band radar, combined with a flexible Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar....Read more

Robin Radar's 3D Flex system consists of a horizontal S-band radar, combined with a flexible Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar. The horizontal S-band radar aims to identify the presence and number of birds in time – including their location, height, direction, speed and route – up to 10 kilometres away. The FMCW radar has a 'scanning' mode, 'staring' mode, and 'automatic acquisition' mode. The system is designed to automatically switch turbines off and on again when the number of birds that enter a pre-set range crosses a specific threshold.

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Free standing towers located on wind farm

Large-Scale Field Study

Zehtindjiev & Whitfield (2021) used the Robin Radar 3D Flex system at the Kaliakra Wind Farm (Bulgaria) to reduce collision risk between December 2020 and February 2021 and to test the system's ability to shut down a turbine to avoid collisions.

...Read more

Zehtindjiev & Whitfield (2021) used the Robin Radar 3D Flex system at the Kaliakra Wind Farm (Bulgaria) to reduce collision risk between December 2020 and February 2021 and to test the system's ability to shut down a turbine to avoid collisions.

Niemi & Tanttu (2020) used the Robin Radar 3D Flex system as part of a deep learning–based automatic bird identification system that was evaluated in terms of bird detection and identification ability at the Tahkoluoto Offshore Wind Farm (Finland).

Beuker et al. (2019) installed a 3D Fixed Robin Radar at the Luchterduinen offshore wind farm in Netherlands to optimize and validate the use of bird radars in the offshore windfarms.

Leemans & Gyimesi (2019) used the Robin Radar 3D at the Luchterduinen offshore wind farm in the Netherlands to set standards for monitoring bird radar performance, data collection, and data quality.

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Zehtindjiev and Whitfield 2022, Niemi and Tanttu 2020, Beuker et al. 2019, Leemans and Gyimesi 2019
Monitoring, Mitigation

Land-based, Offshore

Planning, Construction, Operation, Decommissioning
Turbine Collision

Birds
Robin Radar
Robin Radar MAX

Robin Radar's MAX is a single sensor system that aims to create a 3D visualisation of bird flight paths. MAX consists of a radar system including radar antenna, processing station and user interface, breakout box and interconnecting power and network cables....Read more

Robin Radar's MAX is a single sensor system that aims to create a 3D visualisation of bird flight paths. MAX consists of a radar system including radar antenna, processing station and user interface, breakout box and interconnecting power and network cables. The system intends to capture height information for bird tracks and bird movements and display data in real-time. The system is designed to automatically switch turbines off and on again when the number of birds that enter a pre-set range crosses a specific threshold.

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Free standing towers located on wind farm

No available documents.