CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- They can look scary. They fly only at night. Some of them enjoy dining on blood. But to Duke Energy's own "Batman," Tim Hayes, they are beautiful, beneficial and need to be protected.
They are bats, which Hayes, a biologist and environmental director for Duke Energy Renewables, is working to protect from being accidentally killed when they come in contact with wind turbines.
When the American Wind Energy Association formed a committee to develop ways to prevent bat deaths and injuries from turbines, Hayes immediately accepted.
Hayes' group this fall recommended slowing down rotor speeds on wind turbines during low-wind conditions in late summer and early fall, which coincides with bats' fall migration and breeding season, to reduce the risk to bats.
Duke Energy Renewables has fully implemented the new procedures at 11 wind power facilities and work is underway at their remaining five sites to adopt the new practices. Going forward, when the company is constructing a new wind farm, these new operating parameters are programmed into the turbines.
"We're on the leading edge of addressing this," Hayes said. "Whatever the environmental issue, Duke prides itself in meeting it head-on.
"Wind energy is clean, with no emissions, and it doesn't use any water," Hayes said. "However, there is no free lunch, and every form of generation has an impact on the environment. We must figure out how to improve the impact we do have."
No one knows exactly why bats are attracted to turbines. Though not entirely blind, as some believe, they do have poor vision, leading some scientists to theorize the animals mistake the wind turbines for large trees.
The American Wind Energy Association believes the new protocols, based on more than 10 years of research by the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative and others, will reduce the wind industry's impact to bats by as much as 30 percent.
Ironically, most people don't have a positive image of bats. They're creepy, right? They're only good for scaring kids on Halloween and turning into vampires.
But bats get an undeserved bad rap, in Hayes' opinion.
"I can't think of another wildlife species that does more good things for people than bats," Hayes said. "One benefit is they consume enormous amounts of insects, but they've got a bad image and most people think they're creepy. There's not another critter I can think of that provides more value to people."
About Duke Energy Renewables
Duke Energy Renewables, part of Duke Energy's Commercial Portfolio, is a leader in developing innovative wind and solar energy generation projects for customers throughout the United States. The company's growing portfolio of commercial renewable assets includes 16 wind farms and 34 solar farms in operation in 12 states, totaling more than 2 gigawatts in electric-generating capacity. Learn more at www.duke-energy.com/renewables.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at www.duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Contact: Tammie McGee, Duke Energy
Office: 980.373.8812; 24-Hour: 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy