Natural Power has launched EchoSense, a smart turbine curtailment technology designed to reduce bat collisions and fatalities at wind farms in the United States. The system, which is approved by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, aims to provide a more efficient alternative to traditional blanket curtailment, minimizing energy losses while protecting wildlife.
EchoSense works by limiting bat fatalities without the extensive energy losses typically associated with blanket curtailment strategies. The system uses a combination of bat detection and environmental data to decide when turbines should be curtailed, reducing unnecessary downtime and energy waste.
Kevin Denman, Managing Director and commercial lead for the project, said, “The formation of EchoSense, LLC is an exciting next step in the growth of EchoSense. Increased market demand for advanced curtailment solutions such as EchoSense, and the unique challenges associated with implementing them, require a team and business built specifically for that purpose.
Denman emphasized that multiple studies have demonstrated EchoSense's effectiveness in reducing bat fatalities, offering a more cost-efficient solution compared to traditional blanket curtailment. “These, along with multiple years of full commercial operation on projects permitted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, demonstrate that it is possible to protect bat populations while also reducing the sometimes substantial energy losses previously associated with the standard approach,” he said.
EchoSense is designed to reduce bat fatalities at a level comparable to blanket curtailment, but with the added benefit of restoring 40-60% of the energy production that would otherwise be lost. The technology consists of two main components: a detection subsystem that collects bat and environmental data, and a decision subsystem that processes this information and issues curtailment commands to individual turbines.
The system also utilizes meteorological data to optimize turbine curtailment, ensuring that only those turbines with high bat activity are curtailed, thus minimizing energy loss while maximizing bat protection.
EchoSense is designed with durability in mind, incorporating components that ensure network security and easy, safe maintenance. The technology also allows for detailed analysis of bat activity, helping wind farms calculate the conservation benefits and return on investment of different curtailment strategies.
EchoSense represents a key innovation in reducing the environmental impact of wind energy, offering a practical solution to balance wildlife protection and energy production efficiency.
