Protect bats and
stop turbines
only when necessary.

The Netherlands is a densely occupied country in which you sometimes have to weigh up which natural interests you want to prioritize. On the one hand, we want to make the country more sustainable and generate more green energy with wind turbines. On the other, we wish to protect the ecology and not let birds and bats pay the price for green energy generation. For this reason, the Nature Conservation Act requires ecological research to be conducted for every new wind farm that is developed. This may indicate that measures must be taken to protect local bats.

For more information, click here: https://regelink.nl/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/factsheet-vleermuizen-windenergie-web.pdf

The BPS system is active from 1 April to 1 October. The start date of April 1 was chosen because this is when most bat species come out of hibernation, which usually ends between mid-March and mid-April. After hibernation, bats are severely emaciated and immediately start looking for food, which causes a sudden increase in activity in the air – also around wind turbines. In order to provide bats with optimal protection, the BPS system must therefore be activated by 1 April at the latest. Since hibernation usually begins in October or November, the system can be deactivated in the intervening months.

It depends on the permit requirements. One BPS system can apply to an entire wind farm or an individual turbine. Only one turbine may be relevant in some cases – for example if it is close to a forested area in which bats are active – while the other turbines pose no risk.

No, the system is purely for detecting bats. Completely different systems exist for bird protection.

This depends on the location and the outcome of the ecological research. A monitoring obligation is sometimes imposed initially and, based on the results, it is then determined whether standstill provisions should be set up for the subsequent period. In this case, it is a good idea to keep tracking the course and dynamics of the bat activity around your turbines over the years. Why bring turbines to a stop as stipulated years ago, if the dynamic has changed in the meantime? Topwind’s BPS system gives you maximum insights and allows you to use this data in the right way to start a conversation with the competent authority. One solution could be to apply different curtailment methods at different times.

Yes, it definitely will. See the explanation above.

See the explanation above.

Yes, Topwind also supplies other systems for wind turbines. This is because at Topwind, we don’t like standard solutions. We would rather provide custom solutions for our clients, working with them to develop innovative solutions for a specific wind farm. Certainly now that turbines have become so much larger. After all, these machines still produce a lot of energy at low wind speeds. Topwind always seeks out technical optimizations when doing so. After all, technical innovation is in our DNA. Based on this ‘healthy dissatisfaction’ with standard solutions, our team offers smart solutions for passing bats, ice settlement and aircraft, among other things:

• By means of our BPS (Bat Protection System), we use tools such as AI to determine whether bats are actually present during the prescribed time blocks for downtime. This innovation will allow us to avoid more unnecessary downtimes in the future;
• By means of our IPS (Ice Protection System), we are able to deal with winter ice settlement around the turbine in an optimal way. Ice accumulation can potentially create risky situations. But is there truly a danger? With accurate sensors and a camera on the turbine, we know the local situation like no other. As a result, we can make decisions that are best for that one turbine;
• With our ADLS (Aircraft Detection Lighting System), we know the precise location of the aircraft and can leave the aircraft lighting on the turbine switched off for as long as possible. And the longer the lights-off time, the better for the environment!