Innovative bird monitoring system to prevent collisions with wind turbines

Renewable energy is crucial for clean, affordable power, however the wind farm development faces opposition due to environmental concerns on biodiversity protection. One of the biggest issues pertains to bird fatalities caused by collisions with wind turbines situated near the NATURA 2000 sites.
For this reason, a startup in Greece, Digisec came up with the solution of placing very high resolution cameras that monitor the area around the wind turbines and use AI systems to identify birds, which can be distinguished from other objects such as planes, clouds, drones, etc.
Once the bird reaches the deterrent radius, a special sound is emitted by the system's speakers to divert the bird’s course. In the rare case that the bird continues its course towards the blades of the wind turbine, the Bird Monitoring System gives a command to stop the operation of the wind turbine until the bird leaves the danger zone. In this way, the lives of thousands of rare birds are saved and the number of unnecessary wind turbine shutdowns is dramatically reduced.
The beneficiaries of this good practice include wildlife conservation organizations, which aim to protect vulnerable bird species from collisions with turbines. Additionally, wind energy companies benefit by minimizing costly downtime and legal liabilities associated with bird strikes. Ultimately, the wider community benefits from sustainable energy generation without significant environmental harm.