Rahul Somvanshi
Painting the blades and poles of wind turbines black and white should save birds from deaths, say scientists.
A British non-departmental public body, Natural England helped come up with the striped design.
It has a say in planning applications for offshore farms.
The pattern can be easily painted on the wind turbines and may save numerous wild avians, say scientists.
The pattern can be easily painted on the wind turbines and may save numerous wild avians, say scientists.
Approximately 328,000 birds are killed each year because of onshore wind turbines in the US alone – leaving lasting impact throughout the food chain.
Many deathly collisions occur in low light, so the turbines should be made easy to decipher in the dark.
Black-and-white is best way ahead, as the high internal contrast stands out against various backgrounds – such as a cloudy or sunny sky.
Martin and co-author Dr. Alex Banks, a senior ornithologist working with Natural England, came up with a series of guiding principles to finally devise a less harmful turbine.
It hasn’t yet been tested, but Martin hopes manufacturers will incorporate it on their turbines, particularly because of its easy and cheap to implement.
Further improvements to this technique could have an even greater impact, said Project leader Prof. Graham Martin, of the University of Birmingham.
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Engineers use computer modeling to simulate wind patterns and their effects on turbine efficiency, ensuring optimal blade design for maximum energy output.
The optimized design incorporates noise reduction technology that minimizes impact on surrounding wildlife, addressing concerns raised by environmental groups during the project’s review phase. The turbines are scheduled for installation by the end of the year.
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