Wind generators kill a number of birds, significantly eagles and different raptors. The precise quantity is unknown, as a result of lots of the world’s wind farms don’t monitor fowl deaths. One mitigation thought to cut back these numbers—and assuage a political argument towards wind generators—is gaining traction: Paint one turbine blade black. Ecologist Roel Might spoke with IEEE Spectrum about his 11-year research to cut back raptor deaths, and his shock on the lukewarm reactions from wind-turbine engineers.
Roel Might
Roel Might is a senior analysis scientist specializing in renewable power impacts and mitigation on the Norwegian Institute for Nature Analysis (NINA) in Trondheim, Norway.
How unhealthy are wind generators for birds?
Roel Might: It relies upon rather a lot on the place you set the generators, and whether or not there’s breeding or foraging areas close by, and the species of birds. Should you put wind generators smack in the midst of a susceptible inhabitants, the impact will be fairly giant. That’s what occurred in Norway on the island of Smøla, which is a scorching spot for white-tailed eagles. That’s the place we did our research.
Why are eagles prone to wind generators?
Might: Raptor species like eagles are superb at flying, however they don’t look straight forward; they give the impression of being down on the floor for prey. They like to make use of updrafts to soar, however updrafts are frequent close to ridges the place wind circumstances are good for generators. In order that’s a nasty mixture.
Does the wind-turbine sort make a distinction?
Might: Bigger generators kill extra birds as a result of their blades take up extra space. However the place wind generators are smaller, there’s usually extra of them, so these wind farms could find yourself killing extra birds than farms with fewer, bigger generators, no less than onshore. Offshore wind farms are more durable to review: You possibly can’t depend the precise variety of birds that die as a result of you possibly can’t discover them; they fall into the ocean they usually’re gone. Some researchers try to document collisions with fowl radar, cameras, and different programs.
You discovered that portray one blade black resulted in a 70 p.c decline in fowl deaths. Ought to all wind farms be doing this?
Might: Our research is one thing that ought to be repeated elsewhere as a result of there are seemingly site-specific and species-specific results. A bunch in the Netherlands painted blades and hasn’t seen a transparent impact. So we’d like extra research. There’s one research entering into South Africa the place they painted a blade pink, and a few others which arebeginning in Wyoming, Italy, and Spain. The United Kingdom is planninga pilot undertaking for offshore generators. However these research are onerous to do as a result of the operator has to get exemptions from rules to color the blades and rent licensed painters who can rappel up and down. And it takes a number of time. We collected information on eagles in Smøla for seven years earlier than the blades had been painted. After we painted, we spent 4 extra years learning the results.
How did engineers reply to your research?
Might: Lots of people from turbine producers requested if I had thought-about the technical implications of this. I hadn’t, as a result of I’m an ecologist, not an engineer. Apparently black blades will warmth up greater than white blades, which can trigger structural results. And the black paint is made with carbon, which might have an effect on the turbine’s efficiency when hit by lightning. Engineers don’t like that. So we have to overcome these disciplinary silos and work collectively to develop purposeful mitigation measures.
This text seems within the June 2025 print difficulty as “Roel Might.”
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