Wind

Wind Turbines

Bat surveys are key part of any wind farm assessment. Bat surveys identify the bat components of a potential wind farm site. This information is essential in guiding the design of a project to minimise potential environmental impact on local bat populations. All bats are projected in Ireland and therefore, gathering this information from the outset is important and allows such findings to be identified early in the design and planning process.

Bat surveys provide the necessary information for:

• Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA)
• Ecology section of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
• Wind Appropriate Assessments (AA) of Natura 2000 sites

Bat Eco Services employs the extensive use of acoustic technology to ensure that the appropriate level of information is gathered to meet your bat ecological needs (see What is a bat survey?). This is combined with desk-top studies to gather all available information on local bat populations.

Bats are observed by the following techniques:

• Aerial Acoustic Monitoring of proposed turbine locations
• Foot-based bat detector surveys of surrounding landscape
• Dusk and Dawn surveys of buildings and trees in the surrounding landscape
• Acoustic surveying of commuting routes adjacent to proposed turbine locations

Bat Eco Services undertakes surveys and assessments under the guidance of the following documents:

Eurobats
Guideline for consideration of bats in wind farm projects, Publication Series No. 3.

Natural England Technical Information
Note TIN051
Bats and onshore wind turbines, Interim Report

Bat Conservation Ireland
Wind Farm Survey Guidelines
Draft 2011

A minimum of one year of monthly surveying should be completed at proposed wind farm
sites according to seasonal survey table illustrated below: