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Bat Protection System (BPS)

Topwind has developed its Bat Protection System in close cooperation with ecologists and bat experts. The primary goal is protecting bats while minimizing energy production losses. Competent authorities currently issue an exemption permit after presenting sufficient proof that appropriate measures were indeed taken to reduce bat victim numbers.

BPS Monitoring

Once a bat exemption permit is issued, you are still obliged to conduct monitoring. Risk mitigation itself is realized via non-operation algorithms imposed by competent authorities. Monitoring implies the registration of bat activity with an ultrasound microphone located within the nacelle base near the rotor.

Besides to installation of a microphone in the nacelle, turbines with a hub-height higher than 120-meter have to be provided with microphones at tip-low. The nacelle microphone is always at the rotor position, but the microphone in the tower is at a fixed position. Therefore, at tip-low, at least two microphones are needed to register bat activity in the rotor swept area. To install the microphones, the turbine manufacturer must provide holes of at least 22 mm in the tower. These holes must be accessible from the nearest platform for installation and maintenance purposes.

The microphones of the Topwind Bat Protection System have a given range of 45 meters and the Registered data is stored directly on a hard disk as part of a distance monitoring package.

BPS Protection

For minimizing the number of bat victims in protected areas, wind turbines will be switched off on the bases of specific non-operation algorithms. This is performed by two different methods:

1. Informed Curtailment:  Weather and time-based protection via an automated start/stop function, which operates with pre-programmed time blocks and specific preconditions like temperature, light intensity, and wind speed;
2. Activity Based Informed Curtailment: Real-time protection via an automated start/stop function is based upon actual detection, but as a method still in development. This option could be introduced at a later stage provided it contributes significantly to reduce power production losses.

Want more information?
Please contact Martin
mvdb@topwind.nl
+31 (0)342 745 462