Optimized Smart Curtailment – Sources of Bat Activity Data
Many state and federal wildlife agencies recommend collecting bat activity in the rotor-swept area of turbines. The typical approach is to mount an acoustic detector on a turbine nacelle. However, this requires a significant amount of effort and cost to the operator in the form of wind technician labor and time, and turbine downtime during […]
WEST Publication: Mortality of Fledged Whooping Cranes in the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population
WEST biologists Kristy Brightwell and Dr. Karen Tyrell are co-authors on the recently published research article, “Mortality of Fledged Whooping Cranes in the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population,” in the Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop. Maintaining accurate mortality records for endangered species is important for guiding management and conservation actions. Mortality records of the Aransas-Wood […]
Optimized Smart Curtailment: The Power of Machine Learning
Optimized Smart Curtailment (OSC) uses the power of machine learning and WESTโs expertise in bat ecology to develop tailored, site-specific curtailment algorithms that minimize energy losses without compromising bat conservation. Reduce unnecessary power production losses with our innovative approach! Check out the video below to learn more about OSC. Reach out to Rhett Good (US […]
WEST Publication: Inland Habitat Selection Model for Wintering Whooping Cranes
WEST biologists and statisticians, Karen Tyrell, Kristin Brightwell, Rosa Palmer, Matthew Crane, and Ted Owen are co-authors on the recently published research article, “Inland Habitat Selection Model for Wintering Whooping Cranes”, in the Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop. As the Aransas-Wood Buffalo whooping crane population has increased in recent years, individuals overwintering in […]
๐ช๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ถ๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต: ๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ
WEST biologist Hall Sawyer and statistician Andrew Telander recently completed the Lander Region/Red Desert Pronghorn study for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The final report illustrates movement patterns from GPS collars, documents a mass mortality event, and identifies over 100,000 acres of habitat inaccessible to pronghorn because of fencing. Less than a year after […]
WEST Publication: “Pollinator Habitat in Solar Facilities Has Potential to Support High Diversity of Bee Speciesโ
WEST Consulting Biologist Bethanne Bruninga-Socolar, PhD, is lead author of the recently published research article, “Pollinator Habitat in Solar Facilities Has Potential to Support High Diversity of Bee Species,โ in the Environmental Research Communications Journal. Converting agricultural and degraded lands to solar energy production creates a unique opportunity to support diverse bee communities through revegetation. […]
WEST Publication: Patterns in Lek Persistence and Attendance by Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) Near a Wind Energy Facility in Southern Kansas
WEST Biologists Chad LeBeau, Renae Sattler, and Kyle Ebenhoch, with Statisticians Matthew Crane and Sierra Pugh, are authors of the recently published research article, “Patterns in Lek Persistence and Attendance by Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) Near a Wind Energy Facility in Southern Kansas,โ in the Journal of Wildlife Biology. As wind energy development expands across […]
Announcing a Strategic Partnership Between WEST and Wildlife Imaging Systems
We are thrilled to announce a strategic partnership between WEST and Wildlife Imaging Systems (WIS)! This partnership combines WEST’s expertise in environmental consulting with WIS’s advanced technology solutions to develop innovative bat conservation strategies in the wind energy industry. Our clients will benefit from enhanced data accuracy, improved efficiency, and access to cutting-edge technology. Together, […]
Optimized Smart Curtailment Powered By WEST: Meeting Your Projectโs Bat Conservation Targets While Optimizing Power Production!
Discover how WEST is tackling the challenge of bat mortality at wind energy facilities with our innovative digital solution, Optimized Smart Curtailment (OSC). OSC provides wind turbine curtailment algorithms, developed from machine learning techniques, tuned to site-specific patterns of bat risk and power production. Our solution empowers wind energy facility operators by providing options specific […]
New Publication
WEST Consulting Biologist Carly Kelly is a co-author of the recently published research article, “Resource Selection and Survival of Plains Sharp-tailed Grouse at a Wind Energy Facility,” published in Ecosphere, an Ecological Society of America open access journal. The study examined the impact of wind energy infrastructure on plains sharp-tailed grouse in northeastern South Dakota […]