Whether you are for or against wind farms off our coast, or on land for that matter, we all want them safer for the planet. With the idea of minimizing bird mortality, I have a couple of suggestions. To minimize deaths during the day, the blades as well as their support structure could be painted colors that contrast well with the background. The colors might also be patterned, in say stripes, to help with immediate identification as flight hazards.
To help in low-light conditions, blades could have a row of LEDs along their length on both sides. The support structures could also have LEDs along their lengths, probably in four rows to account for which way the birds approach. The LEDs should, of course, be powered by the wind turbine.
Some experimentation should be done to identify the best colors and patterns for paint and LEDs to match them with the types of birds most prevalent in those areas.
Don Merrill
Arroyo Grande
This article appears in Feb 6-16, 2025.