This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate the technical and commercial viability of a high-brightness ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UVLED) system for inducing an involuntary avoidance response of birds and bats. The purpose of this system is to reduce the mortality rates of birds and bats by deterring them from entering the active rotor zone area of an operating wind turbine and thus minimizing the risk of mortality or injury from direct collision or barotrauma. Many avian and bat species have spectral sensitivity to ultraviolet light and are known to react to signal colors and bright light sources, whereas humans do not have spectral sensitivity to ultraviolet light and would not have an overall awareness to the operation of a UVLED system. Strict regulations for species protection by the Endangered Species Act as well as general bird and bat mortality are guiding the permitting approval process for siting new wind farms (both on land and off-shore) and the operations of existing wind farms.
The broader/commercial potential of this project is that it addresses a major problem affecting the permitting of new and existing wind farms. In addition, there are other numerous additional potential applications for the UVLED system. These applications include protecting airports? landing and take-off airspaces from bird strikes; integrating UVLEDs into airplane landing lights to protect against bird strikes; mounting on radio/TV and other towers to minimize bird mortality; mounting on large buildings where bird mortality is known to be high; protecting tar pits and similar hazards from bird mortality; and protecting bridges, rooftops, and similar spaces from the nuisance of bird droppings. Also, bats save farmers about $74 per acre by providing natural pest control. Pest control services provided by insect-eating bats in the U.S. likely save the U.S. agricultural industry at least $3 billion a year.
Lite Enterprises, Inc. (LEI) explored the potential application of high intensity ultraviolet (UV) light as a deterrent for birds and bats at commercial wind farms, airports, and other sites where collision mortality may impact wildlife or pose a safety risk. The physiology of 80-90% of all bird and bat species are capable of ‘seeing’ the UV spectrum that are beyond normal human spectral sensitivity. This suggests that a deterrent based on UV light could be effective for birds and bats while not being a nuisance to people. A study of the effectiveness of a prototype UV light-emitting diode (UVLED) system for deterring bats and birds was conducted by an independent wildlife biologist. The study was designed to determine whether the passage rates of nocturnal avian migrants and the nightly activity levels of bats present during the fall season would be affected by the presence of the UVLED system. The statistical results of the study validated with 98% confidence that bird behavior is influenced by the presence of the UVLED system in a completely natural environment with no human presence during the autumn migratory season for a site located near the coast of Maine. The study was inconclusive concerning bat behavior in the presence of the UVLED system in a completely natural environment with no human presence. The UV illuminated airspace was monitored using the acoustic bird monitoring system to record migratory flight calls in adjacent and overlapping airspace. The recordings were analyzed at the end of the test to identify birds and bats present during each night. The acoustic monitoring did not document behavioral response of individual birds and bats when entering the cone of illumination. The number of acoustic bird and bat call sequences was tallied per night per site and analyzed using linear and multivariate analysis techniques. Both involuntary reflex avoidance response and voluntary behavioral deterrence responses were observed and recorded for a variety of species during field trials. Field trials included both natural and captive settings. As the world’s population continues to grow, so too does the chance for ever greater interaction and conflict – both planned and accidental – between humans and wildlife. The prevention of economic loss and death from aircraft wildlife strikes is a very significant issue worldwide. The US Department of Transportation Inspector General reported in August 2012 that in the past two decades, wildlife strikes have increased, from 1,770 reported in 1990 to 9,840 reported in 2011, a five-fold increase. The increase in strikes is due in part to increases in large bird populations. Besides reducing the mortality of legally protected and endangered species of wildlife at wind farms, reducing the number of collisions between wildlife and aircraft through the utilization of this non-invasive technology is of great societal value. The measurable cost of human and wildlife interactions is only a portion of the issue. The value of protecting wildlife species and the cost of human-wildlife conflicts (fear of flying, etc.) is difficult to measure.
