Presentations

Abstract

The first attempt to standardize the methods of site assessment in terms of sensitivity to negative impact of wind farms in Poland was made in 2008. The guidelines were recommended, among others, by the Polish Wind Energy Association (PSEW) and the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP), however, the document was not legally empowered. The second edition, released in 2011 as a document of the draft stage status. The latest, third edition was aimed to simplify the provisions, to minimize the possibility of an individual interpretation of the collected data and to ensure more effective protection of the key bird species. The new guide is also a proposal for a new approach to planning the development of wind energy in Poland while respecting the protection of biodiversity. Based on knowledge of both the methodology of field work in the course of pre-investment monitoring on wind farms in Europe, as well as data on the scale of bird mortality and legal regulations introduced in individual countries at local or national levels and good practices in minimizing the risk of collisions for birds, we have created a document that is a resultant of good and proven practices in the field of monitoring for planned and existing wind farms and the method of assessing the data obtained during monitoring. The proposed solutions improve the methodology of field work, the report template forces the use of a uniform methodology for data analysis and presentation. This will enable the future collection of data in a uniform manner. The proposed criteria for the location of wind turbines in relation to areas valuable for birds allow for more effective protection of individual populations and flexible design of wind farms. Moreover, the proposed criteria for the selection of minimization measures allow for the simultaneous development of wind projects and protection of populations of individual species while maintaining optimal financial expenditure.