G’day Readers Cats, and wind turbines are not the only thinks killing birds. This article is from the USA, but it might pay us to be aware of the problem. This is just one of the links to newspapers dealing with the issue, but it is less encumbered with forced advertising than the one my wife sent me. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2965070/Solar-farm- sets-130-birds-FIRE-Extreme-glow-power-plant-ignites-creatures-mid- air-tests.html One article says Obama is ignoring the issues on this one, another says Google is part owner & that might explain why some of my searches goofed up! Sad reading Mike =================== Michael Tarburton tarburton.m@optusnet.com.au ===================
Birding-Aus mailing list
Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org
To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Great Work Stephen Thank you for chasing the real details up. Much appreciated. Cheers Mike =================== Michael Tarburton tarburton.m@optusnet.com.au =================== On 09/03/2015, at 10:26 AM, Stephen Ambrose wrote:
Birding-Aus mailing list
Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org
To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Assessment of the potential impacts of solar farms on individual birds and their populations is a topic that I’ve recently become involved in as part of my consultancy work. The Daily Mail article brought to our attention by Mike completely misrepresents the known impacts of solar power generation on birds, at both the individual solar plant level and the solar power industry level overall. First, it is important to be aware that there are two main types of large-scale solar farms – those that generate electricity through the use of: 1. Photovoltaic cells [conversion of solar energy into direct current electricity using semiconducting materials that have photovoltaic properties]; and 2. Solar thermal technology [the use of heliostat mirrors to collect and reflect light and heat to receiving boxes or tubes containing pipes that carry a fluid (usually molten salt or salty water) that heats up and produces steam that can be used to drive turbines]. There are three main types of solar thermal energy collectors: (a) solar power towers: vertical towers which contain one or more receiving boxes on or near the top of the tower that collect(s) the reflected light and heat from the heliostat mirrors surrounding the towers. (b) parabolic troughs: a row of curved mirrors, arranged to form a long parabola, reflect light and heat onto a dewar (vacuum) tube that runs the length of the parabola’s focal line. (c) Fresnel reflectors: long, thin segments of mirrors are arranged linearly to focus sunlight onto a fixed absorber located at a common focal point of the reflectors. These reflectors make use of the Fresnel lens effect, which allows for a concentrating mirror with a large aperture and short focal length while simultaneously reducing the volume of material required for the reflector. Preliminary research at solar power facilities show that bird mortalities do occur at solar power plants, but the numbers of bird casualties are relatively low compared with other anthropogenic causes. Most of what is known about the impacts of solar farms on bird populations is based on a study by Kagan et al. (2014) at three solar farms in the United States (southern California) that use different solar designs (photovoltaic cells at the Desert Sunlight Facility, a trough system with parabolic mirrors at the Genesis Facility, and power towers as focal points for solar flux at the Ivanpah Facility). Kagan et al. (2014) recorded mortality or injury to 71 bird species across the three solar farms, representing a broad range of ecological types. Each solar farm is located in significant migratory paths of bird species, and sampling was conducted in October 2013, during the southward autumn migration period. Impacted bird species ranged in size from hummingbirds to pelicans; in ecological type from strictly aerial feeders (swallows) to aquatic feeders (grebes) to ground feeders (roadrunners) to raptors (hawks and owls). The species identified were equally divided among resident and non-resident species, and nocturnal as well as diurnal species were represented. However, despite the relatively high number of species impacted, the total number of impacted birds found across all three solar farms was low (233 individuals). Additional surveys at the Ivanpah Solar Facility conducted over a 17-month period (July 2012 to December 2013) resulted in the recovery of 141 bird carcasses from the area, and included a 7-month period when the facility was under construction and the towers were not fluxing. This study identified the main risks to birds from solar power plants to be: 1. loss of bird habitat; 2. collision risks with solar farm infrastructure (heliostats, towers and cables); 3. solar flux burns and related trauma; 4. heliostats and reflected light perceived by birds as wetlands; 5. attraction of birds to bright lights at night; 6. attraction to insect culls and live swarms; and 7. stranding and predation. The relative importance of each of these risks varies considerably according to the type of solar power generation employed. For instance, impact trauma from collisions with structures and increased predation (by raptors) were the main causes of mortality at the Desert Sunlight and Genesis Facilities, with some waterbirds at the Desert Sunlight also unable to take flight again after landing on a large flat areas provided by the photovoltaic panels (i.e. strandings). Solar flux burns and impact trauma were the main causes of death at the Ivanpah Facility. In comparison, estimated annual bird mortality rates in North America (number of birds killed per year) from other anthropogenic sources include 1.4 – 3.7 billion from predation by cats, 98 – 980 million from collisions with buildings and windows, tens of thousands to 174 million from collisions and/or electrocution from power lines, 60 – 80 million from collisions with road and rail vehicles, 6.8 million from collisions with communication towers, 500,000 – 1 million at oil field waste water facilities, 209,059 – 330,010 from collisions with wind turbines, and 4,722 from collisions with aircraft. Therefore, preliminary studies suggest that bird mortality and injury at solar facilities are likely to be much lower than those caused by other anthropogenic sources. On 14 January 2015, about 115 bird mortalities were recorded during a 4.25-hr test run of the TSE Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project (CDSEP), a 110 MW solar thermal facility that was the subject of the Daily Mail article. The facility consists of 17,500 heliostat mirrors that collect and focus the sun’s thermal energy to heat molten salt flowing through a single 160-m tall receiving tower. It is one of the largest, if not the largest, solar power facilities, in the world. The bird mortality recorded at the CDSEP occurred when about 3,000 heliostats surrounding the receiving tower were positioned to reflect light and heat to a concentrated point above the tower (approximately 360 m above the ground) during the test run. The technical report that I read of this incident stated that a halo of energy was visible from the ground, and the heat was so intense that birds flying into the halo were immediately burned and smoke was clearly evident. Normal operation of CDSEP would require the heliostats to reflect the solar energy to, rather than above, the receiving tower, reducing the risk of energy concentration points occurring in flight paths of bird flocks. Subsequent test runs at the CDSEP, where solar energy is focused at a point above the tower, are limited to the use of 150 heliostats at any one time, but avian mortality data under this regime are not yet available. Overall, the benefits gained by installing a solar power facility are likely to outweigh the risks posed to bird species, especially if bird hazard management plans are implemented to reduce bird mortalities. For instance, solar power plants counteract human-induced climate change, which is one of the most significant global threats to birds today. 1 MW of solar energy offsets between 680 to 1,700 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year that result from the burning of fossil fuels. Most solar power plants today are between 30 & 110 MW facilities. Therefore, a 30 MW solar facility would potentially offset between 20,400 and 51,000 tonnes of CO2 emitted per year. A 110 MW solar facility would potentially offset between 74,800 to 187,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year from the burning of fossil fuels. To put that in perspective, an average vehicle emits about 5.1 tonnes of CO2 per year, thus 1 MW of solar power could offset between 133 and 333 vehicles per year. Therefore existing solar power plants offset carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to removing 3,990 to 9,990 cars from the road (for a 30 MW solar power facility) and between 14,630 and 36,630 cars from the road (for a 110 MW solar power facility. The Daily Mail article failed to recognise that bird impacts are low compared to other anthropogenic causes of bird mortality, and also failed to differentiate between the different types of solar power plants and their differing impacts on birds. In the way it reported the CDSEP incident, it gave the impression that the rate of bird mortality recorded would continue at that level, when in fact it was an abnormal, albeit unfortunate, incident that probably would not be repeated. But I think the biggest crime was for the article not to consider the benefits that solar power generation potentially has in offsetting impacts of global warming, particularly climate-change impacts on bird populations from the burning of fossil fuels. Large-scale solar farms are beginning to be established in Australia. Studies of the impacts of these farms on Australian birds are just beginning to get underway. Until we have some Australian data, we will have to rely on the results of overseas studies. Kind regards, Stephen Ambrose Dr Stephen Ambrose Director AMBROSE ECOLOGICAL SERVICES PTY LTD m: 0402 225 481 t: 02 9808 1236 f: 02 9807 6865 PO Box 246, Ryde NSW 1680 web: http://www.ambecol.com.au LinkedIn: http://au.linkedin.com/in/drstephenambrose Reference: Kagan, R.A., Viner, T.C., Trail, P.W. and Espinoza, E.O. (2014). Avian mortality at solar energy facilities in southern California: a preliminary analysis (National Fish and Forensics Laboratory, Ashland). http://alternativeenergy.procon.org/sourcefiles/avian-mortality-solar-energy -ivanpah-apr-2014.pdf. —–Original Message—– John Leonard Sent: Wednesday, 4 March 2015 12:14 PM The daily mail isn’t a reliable source of information about anything. John Leonard < tarburton.m@optusnet.com.au> wrote: article is from the USA, but it might pay us to be aware of the problem. is less encumbered with forced advertising than the one my wife sent me. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2965070/Solar-farm-sets-130-b irds-FIRE-Extreme-glow-power-plant-ignites-creatures-mid-air-tests.html Google is part owner & that might explain why some of my searches goofed up!
Birding-Aus mailing list
Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org
To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Birding-Aus mailing list
Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org
To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Wind Farms in Tassie have been shown to not affect 80% of species at one farm and 83% of species at the other. However, that hides some important facts: White-throated Needltails are the #1 being destroyed at one of those farms and #2 at the other. Why is it that one of the fasted flying birds in the world is being killed by wind turbines? Short-tailed Shearwaters (better know as Mutton Birds) are the #1 being killed at the 2nd wind farm. One common feature between these two species is their long wings. Swifts do inhabit the USA – are they not near wind farms?, not near the wind farms that are cooperating in the US study? or not being picked up by the study methods employed in the US? The Tassie study is : Hull, C.L., Stark, E.M., Peruzzo, S. & Sims, C.C. (2013). Avian collisions at two wind farms in Tasmania, Australia: taxonomic and ecological characteristics of colliders versus noncolliders. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 40, 47-62. This looks like a challenging and interesting topic. Happy thinking Mike =================== Michael Tarburton tarburton.m@optusnet.com.au =================== On 04/03/2015, at 12:26 PM, Eric Jeffrey via Birding-Aus wrote:
Birding-Aus mailing list
Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org
To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
On 4/03/2015 12:13 PM, John Leonard wrote: Given the photos in the side bar beside the article, I would agree. Brian Fleming
Birding-Aus mailing list
Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org
To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
There definitely have been some deaths from solar farms, including rate Yuma Clapper Rails. The good news is that this seems to be a matter that may be fixed by design changes. Neither wind turbines nor solar farms are major contributors to avian deaths in the States. The big ones remain habitat loss, cats, and collisions with structures. Eric Jeffrey Falls Church, VA USA Sent from my iPhone
Birding-Aus mailing list
Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org
To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
The daily mail isn’t a reliable source of information about anything. John Leonard
Birding-Aus mailing list
Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org
To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org