Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 12:00 pm ET
Presented by REWI, this webinar featured three researchers discussing their published and ongoing work on Avian-Solar Interactions in and around large-scale PV facilities and the implications for the future. The topics included patterns of avian fatalities, the Lake Effect Hypothesis, anti-reflective coating of panels, and avian behavior associated with PV facilities across the United States and Canada.
Moderator: Josh Ennen, Senior Scientist, Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI)
Speakers:
- Karl Kosciuch, Wildlife Program Manager, Tetra Tech
- Danny Riser-Espinoza, Senior Statistician, Team Lead, Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc (WEST)
- Lee Walston, Ecologist, Argonne National Lab (ANL)
About the Speakers
Dr. Karl Kosciuch is a highly qualified wildlife program manager working at the intersection of energy development and wildlife issues with excellence in science, permitting, and project management. His expertise spans existing and emerging renewable and transmission energy technologies where he integrates novel risk and impact assessment analyses for wildlife and habitat. Karl offers a rare blend of highest-level technical skills, communication skills, and ability to bring stakeholders together to achieve consensus. Over his career, Dr. Kosciuch has presented at 46 conferences and has published 22 peer-reviewed papers.
Daniel Riser-Espinoza is a Senior Statistician and Team Lead based in WEST’s Fort Collins, Colorado, office, where he specializes in the design and analysis of wildlife studies at renewable energy facilities. Daniel has extensive experience working with diverse stakeholders representing industry, government, and non-governmental organizations. Daniel has deep expertise in the implementation of modern fatality estimators, including the Generalized Estimator of Mortality, and Evidence of Absence (EoA) models. Daniel has been analyzing data to understand avian-solar interactions for over a decade, and is a coauthor on three peer-reviewed journal articles about avian-solar interactions, and has given numerous presentations and posters on the topic via professional conferences.
Lee Walston is an Ecologist and Department Head at Argonne National Laboratory. He has over 15 years of experience in efforts to better understand and minimize the ecological impacts of solar energy. For the past 7 years he has supported DOE-funded projects to evaluate the ecosystem service opportunities of solar energy dual land use practices. His work on solar energy has been covered by high-profile media outlets such as The New York Times, National Geographic, and Scientific American. In his spare time, Lee is usually weeding his backyard pollinator garden, fishing, or camping with his family.
Relevant Citations:
- Hamada, Y., A. Z. Szymanski, P. F. Tarpey, and L. J. Walston. 2026. Artificial intelligence-assisted daytime video monitoring for bird, insect, and other wildlife interactions with photovoltaic solar energy facilities. Diversity 18(2):95. https://doi.org/10.3390/d18020095
- Kosciuch, K. L., D. Riser-Espinoza, and M. Mitchell. 2025. Lake effect or data mirage? How accounting for technology differences at utility scale solar energy facilities can change data interpretation. Environmental Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae1e91.
- Kosciuch, K., D. Riser-Espinoza, C. Moqtaderi, and W. P. Erickson. 2021. Aquatic habitat bird occurrences at photovoltaic solar energy development in Southern California, USA. Diversity 13:524. https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/11/524.
- Kosciuch, K. L., D. Riser-Espinoza, M. B. Gerringer, and W. P. Erickson. 2020. A summary of bird mortality at photovoltaic utility scale solar facilities in the Southwestern U.S. PLOS ONE 15:e0232034. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232034.
- Walston, L. J., K. E. Rollins, K. E. LaGory, K. P. Smith, and S. A. Meyers. 2016. A preliminary assessment of avian mortality at utility-scale solar energy facilities in the United States. Renewable Energy 92:405–414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2016.02.041.
- Walston, L. J., H. M. Hartmann, L. Fox, M. E. Stanger, S. E. Steele, N. R. Narváez, K. E. Szoldatits, I. Hogstrom, and J. Macknick. 2025. Ecovoltaic solar energy development can promote grassland bird communities. Journal of Applied Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.70208.
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