Texturizing Wind Turbine Towers to Reduce Bat Mortality Award Number: DE-EE0007033 CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.3, B3.6 Wind Program Date: 06/17/2015 Location(s): TX Office(s): Golden Field Office
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
June 17, 2015
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Texturizing Wind Turbine Towers to Reduce Bat Mortality
Award Number: DE-EE0007033
CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.3, B3.6
Wind Program
Date: 06/17/2015
Location(s): TX
Office(s): Golden Field Office
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to provide federal funding to Texas Christian University (TCU) to develop a wind turbine tower coating that would deter bats. The goals of the proposal are to develop a tower coating that is economically feasible, can be applied on-site to operational turbines, and will deter bats, therefore reducing bat mortality rates.
The proposed project would involve the five tasks identified below:
Task 1: Testing behavioral responses of bats to textures in a flight room
Task 2: Development of final texture coating, field study design, and application plan
Task 3: Application of coating to turbines at Wolf Ridge wind farm
Task 4: Fatality study of control and treatment turbines
Task 5: Data analysis and final reporting