A study supported by the Wind Wildlife Research Fund and published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE explored the question: what level of curtailment is optimal for minimizing both bat fatalities and power losses?
Researchers performed a meta-analysis of 36 curtailment studies and found that overall, curtailment is very effective at reducing bat fatalities – a 63% decrease was achieved across all the studies analyzed. However, the researchers were not able to determine whether using higher cut-in speeds (wind speed at which turbines begin generating electricity) corresponds to a significant decrease in bat fatalities, and ultimately concluded that additional studies that focus on this question are needed.
View a presentation by the report authors as part of an AWWI webinar on curtailment for bats.