The smart mill that protects the birds

A team of researchers at the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and the Foundation Migros finalizing a device capable of detecting the presence of birds and its trajectory, with the aim of halting the blades of wind turbines to prevent her death.

The device in question, which has a television camera, promises to put an end to the carnage of wind farms around the world, which in some cases has emerged as the most negative impact of wind turbines, tireless producers renewable energy.

Researcher at the CSIC, Miguel Ferrer, told .es that in the initial laboratory tests carried out on the apparatus, it has been able to detect a bird about 750 meters from the mill. "This would give a margin of 67 seconds in the event of a vulture to stop the blades from 14 revolutions per minute without any risk at a speed of three revolutions," said biologist for the Biological Station of Doana.

Vultures belonging to the group of birds sailboats, the species are suffering the most from the impact of the wings of the wind turbines in our country. The Spanish experts have been developed in recent years on these censuses in various wind farms. In all studies, there is a mortality of 0.5 birds per year in each mill. However, the figure rises to nearly six dead birds have been found in the park Basque Elgea, according to a study by Onrubia.

It is precisely this

Mortality that has led to environmental authorities in Andalusia to slow down the production of electricity from 38 machines in La Janda, Cadiz. Since a few days ago and until late December wind turbines do not revolve the daytime to avoid the deaths of vultures.

While the prototype of the research group continues the first phase of testing in the field to "go back production in a few months, the team that carried out the project has published an investigation in which it is shown that there is no relationship between previous studies of real danger and mortality of birds in wind farms.

A griffon vulture lies dead at the foot of a wind turbine, after bumping against its blades. (Photo: The World)

In this way, wind farms whose estimated hazard was very low producing a high number of casualties among the birds. Preliminary studies of birds are required in most countries and in Spain as key information for the grant or not environmental authorization to install a wind farm. In Andalusia, this tool was adopted as a result of a pioneering study of the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO / Birdlife). It recommended follow-up to a full year of birds in the area of the site of the wind farm and the evolution of the number of birds passing through the area at a height considered at risk. Similar recommendations were made by Birdlife International.

However, until now had not found what ever real relationship between the hazardous estimated a priori and a posteriori mortality recorded with the machines already in operation.

With

Obtaining the records of mortality of birds in more than 20 sites that carry several years in operation, researchers have found that the mortality found did not match the prediction of dangerousness of the previous studies.

The assumptions made in previous studies of danger to birds and poses a direct linear relationship between the number of birds detected and mortality later. Therefore, a greater number of birds crossing, the higher mortality expected. But the relationship is not so simple.

Mortality in wind farms varies substantially depending on the characteristics of the species and according to the site, both as the park specifically for each turbine. In a study by the same authors published in 'Journal of Applied Ecology 2008' showed that the relative position of the turbine in relation to the topography was a key factor in explaining the deaths.

Currently, Spain ranks second worldwide, just behind Germany in installed wind power, with 11615.07 produced by 538 MW wind farms in operation throughout its geography. "It is evident that there needs to improve the predictive power of risk and if not, increase the criticism against some wind farms. The development of automated systems for detecting and stopping collision paths selective is a good way, "concludes Miguel Ferrer.