Enabling Coexistence Options for Wind Energy and Wildlife-Bat Behavior Research and Technology Advancement

NREL is seeking Subcontractors to address one or more of the categories listed below. The scope of these categories includes species-specific behavior of bats at wind turbines and species-specific responses by bats to deterrent stimuli. Offerors must meet the mandatory requirements of the defined objective(s) being addressed. Offers are limited to the required strategies listed. Proposal submissions should address individual categories. Offerors may submit multiple proposals for multiple categories. Do not submit proposals that combine categories. Proposal categories include: Category 1: Data suggests that some bats alter course to approach and interact with different aspects of wind turbines (i.e., the tower, nacelle, and blades). Understanding what factors are associated with these interactions can help understand and minimize collision events. Category 1 aims to support the investigation of species-specific behavior and potential attraction at the wind turbine- or wind energy facility-scale. Category 1 is intended to occur at one or more commercial wind energy facilities and may include more than one research topic of interest. Research for Category 1 can be combined with existing studies investigating bat mortality or evaluating the effectiveness of minimization technologies, but funds from this solicitation are not intended to support mortality monitoring. All costs proposed shall pertain to this effort. Costs for existing work that was previously federally funded are not allocable, see FAR 31.204-4 for further details. (~$700k; 30% cost share). Research topics of interest: 1) Conducting experimental studies to investigate potential hypotheses for why bats approach and interact with wind turbines. 2) Relating video observations and collisions with spatial, temporal, operational, and weather conditions. 3) Quantifying the response (e.g., flight behaviors and distances) of bats to wind turbines or wind energy facilities. Category 2: Results from deterrent studies have shown varying success. For deterrents to be broadly accepted as a minimization strategy, efforts to improve their effectiveness are needed. Understanding how bats perceive and respond to deterrent stimuli may help advance technologies to reduce bat mortality at wind energy facilities. Category 2 aims to examine species-specific responses to deterrent stimuli (e.g., different frequency ranges, sound patterns, or habituation). Work should be performed in settings where individuals of different species can be identified and monitored (e.g., captured bats in a flight cage). Proper permits must be received prior to awardees capturing and handling live bats. (~$450k; 20% cost share) Research topics of interest: 1) Quantifying how specific species of bats respond to different deterrent stimuli, and how weather conditions may impact effectiveness of deterrents. 2) Evaluating how specific species of bats respond to long-term exposure to deterrent stimuli. 3) Developing real-time detection and deterrent technologies that target specific species. For each category, NREL staff will be available to support the work effort. Awardees should plan to provide quarterly reports that include a description of work performed, including the status, an explanation of variances and challenges, accomplishments, and planned activities for the next quarter. Awardees should plan to present a minimum of one webinar and/or public presentation on the results of the project. In collaboration with NREL staff, awardees should plan to publish a technical report appropriate for public dissemination and at least one publication in a scientific peer review journal. The report and publication should document the outcomes of the study, including details of the study area, methodology, instrumentation, data collected, analytical methods, results, and discussion.