Protecting wildlife – and your investment Increased Cut-In Wind Speed (ICIWS) works by allowing users to modify the cut-in speed of turbines based on several criteria: wind speed, time of day, season of the year and ambient temperature. At Vestas, we see a future where wind power is on a par with oil and gas as a source of energy. This means increasing public understanding and acceptance of turbines by winning the hearts and minds of local communities. It also means making it easier to obtain building permits for new wind farms. We have always taken the health and environmental impacts of wind farms very seriously. Some species of bats are endangered and protected – but in certain areas, a single turbine can cause up to fifty fatalities each year. That’s why we have invested heavily to develop our Increased Cut-In Wind Speed (ICIWS) bat protection system. ICIWS has reduced bat mortality by more than fifty percent in trials, and in some cases by as much as ninety percent. How ICIWS protects wildlife Research shows that bat deaths caused by turbines is a global problem. Fatalities have occurred at installations across America, Europe, Scandinavia and Australia. However, only around ten percent of fatalities occur by the bat physically colliding with the blades. In most cases, death is due to the drop in pressure behind the blades causing rapid expansion of air in the bat’s lungs. ICIWS is a software solution designed to reduce the wind farm mortality rate for bats, while having the smallest possible impact on energy yield and profits. It works by allowing users to modify the cut-in speed of turbines based on several criteria: wind speed, time of day, season of the year and ambient temperature. Your benefits at a glance: · Increased chances of wind farm planning permission · Schemes more likely to gain community acceptance · Highly-refined cut-in criteria minimises lost production · Economical to install, maintain and update · Noise levels lowered in tandem with increased cut-in wind speed
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