Developing Technologies for Bat Detection and Deterrence at Wind Facilities

Mass. Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

This webinar was hosted by the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative (NWCC).

bats in flight

Presentations included:

  • Evaluating the Effectiveness of Ultrasonic Acoustic Deterrents in Reducing Bat Fatalities at Wind Energy Facilities
    • Presenter: Dr. Cris Hein, Wind Energy Program Director, Bat Conservation International
    • Presentation
  • Texturizing Wind Turbine Towers to Reduce Bat Mortality
    • Presenter: Dr. Amanda Hale, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Research Program, Texas Christian University
    • Presenter: Dr. Victoria Bennett, Assistant Professor, Texas Christian University
    • Presentation
  • Rotor-mounted, Ultrasonic Bat Impact Mitigation System
    • Presenter: Erick Rickards, Engineering Manager, Frontier Wind
    • Presentation
  • A Biomimetic Ultrasonic Whistle for Use as a Bat Deterrent on Wind Turbines
    • Presenter: Dr. Paul Sievert, Research Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst
    • Presentation
  • Ultrasonic Bat Deterrent Technology (Note: the recording for this presentation is unavailable)
    • Presenter: Kevin Kinzie, Engineering Manager, General Electric Power & Water
    • Presentation

The research presented in this webinar is supported by a recent funding opportunity (Bat Impact Minimization Technologies and Field Testing Opportunities) from the U.S. Department of Energy.


The National Wind Coordinating Collaborative (NWCC), formed in 1994 and retired in 2020, was initiated and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); AWWI facilitated the NWCC from 2012 until 2020. Learn more.
Photo Credit: Mexican Free-Tailed Bats, USFWS/Ann Froschauer