Bright Stalk: Optimized Smart Curtailment (OSC) to protect bats while maintaining energy yield (USA)

The Bright Stalk wind farm participates in the “Validating Optimized Smart Curtailment” research project led by Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. (WEST) through the Renewable Energy Wildlife Research Fund (REWRF).

The initiative aims to reduce bat collisions during periods of higher risk through site-specific, data-driven operational controls, while limiting unnecessary energy curtailment during low-risk periods. This approach enables effective biodiversity protection with proportionate operational impact. 

Key steps accomplished:

• Development and deployment of an Optimized Smart Curtailment (OSC) algorithm based on site specific bat’s activity data and environmental variables (e.g. temperature, wind speed and seasonality).
• Adaptive turbine curtailment triggered when predefined risk thresholds are met, with normal operations resuming during low-risk periods to minimize energy losses.
• Continuous monitoring and iterative refinement of operational parameters to improve prediction accuracy and overall effectiveness throughout the operational season.

This targeted strategy safeguards wildlife while maximizing energy yield.