Advanced monitoring of birds and bats

<div><ul> <li><a href="https://ventures.tno.nl/portfolio/aerosense" class="siteLink">Aerosense</a>: A proven system for objective collision detection, originating from TNO research and commercialised via spinoff AeroSense. It provides factual evidence on interactions between species and turbines. -Bird-off</li> <li><a href="https://grow-offshorewind.nl/project/birdsafe" class="externLink">BirdSafe</a>: Comprehensive offshore migration studies integrating radar, imaging and ecological analysis to map behaviour, flight heights and migration intensity. In the image below, you can see Array of Night-vision cameras installed on the transition piece a the 11MW turbine within HKZ for the Birdsafe project.</li> </ul><p><img src="/publish/pages/14852/c-birdsafe-grow-6a_1.jpg" alt="c-BirdSafe-GROW-6A" width="900" data-sources="[{"width":344,"height":275,"src":"/publish/pages/14852/344px/c-birdsafe-grow-6a_1.jpg","sizeClass":"size_344px"},{"width":600,"height":480,"src":"/publish/pages/14852/600px/c-birdsafe-grow-6a_1.jpg","sizeClass":"size_600px"},{"width":900,"height":720,"src":"/publish/pages/14852/c-birdsafe-grow-6a_1.jpg"}]" height="720" data-id="14852" id="img_pagvld_458736_0" class="img_pagvld_458736_0" resolved="true" /></p><ul> <li>Bat monitoring & modelling: Tailored solutions including Bat Track & Trace for identifying movement patterns and assessing speciesspecific risk profiles. specific risk profiles. -specific risk profiles.</li> </ul><p>Don’t see the exact monitoring solution that fits your monitoring needs? Contact us and lets design it together.</p></div>

Impact mitigation that protects nature and optimises production

<div><ul> <li>Black Blade and related projects (including ZWEMT) demonstrate how turbine design adaptations and operational strategies can reduce collision risks while maintaining energy yields. These initiatives illustrate how ecology and wind energy can both benefit when interventions are guided by data.</li> <li>Smart curtailment: Dynamic, detection-based operational adjustments that significantly minimise production losses compared to static curtailment regimes.</li> </ul></div>

Wind energy & biodiversity: a technology driven path to nature inclusive growth

Thema:: Accelerating offshore wind farms

The energy transition is accelerating, but biodiversity objectives must advance in parallel. TNO supports governments and developers with an integrated Measure–Model–Mitigate approach, enabling responsible wind energy growth while safeguarding nature and minimising unnecessary curtailment.

Societal challenge: integrating renewable energy with ecology

Wind power is expanding rapidly to meet European and Dutch climate ambitions. In the Netherlands alone, installed wind capacity is expected to increase three to fivefold by 2050, predominantly offshore. At the same time, Europe and the Netherlands aim for a two to fivefold improvement in nature quality, both in extent and in ecological condition. These ambitions compete directly for space, especially in densely used environments such as the North Sea and Dutch mainland.

Both offshore and onshore areas present significant spatial conflicts. Maps reveal overlapping claims from wind farms, agriculture, fisheries, Natura 2000 areas, shipping routes, military zones, and infrastructure corridors. Without coordinated, proactive measures, ecological constraints may limit wind capacity, increase operational costs and require frequent curtailment, reducing the predictability and affordability of the energy transition.

Wind farms can affect birds, bats, marine mammals and benthic habitats. Yet critical knowledge gaps remain regarding behavioural patterns around turbines, actual collision risks, and cumulative ecological impacts across multiple wind farms. As TNO, we understand that much of today’s insight is based on human observation; scalable, objective and technology enabled monitoring is essential for robust ecological assessments and informed policymaking.

TNO’s vision: the 3M approach for nature inclusive wind energy

TNO applies a multidisciplinary Measure–Model–Mitigate (3M) methodology that integrates ecological science, sensor innovation, data analytics and wind energy expertise. This approach supports evidence-based decisions in design, permitting and operations, while limiting unnecessary downtime.

As an independent applied research organisation, TNO bridges government, developers, nature organisations and regulators. This neutral position ensures fact based dialogue and transparent decision frameworks across the entire wind energy value chain.

TNO deploys a comprehensive sensor suite, including radar, thermal and PTZ cameras, microphones, vibration sensors and eDNA sampling—to capture precise, continuous data on birds, bats and local biodiversity. These measurements replace fragmented observations with reliable, repeatable ecological evidence.

We combine AI driven data analysis with ecological modelling to predict species behaviour, collision probabilities and migration flows. Our models work at turbine, wind farm and system scale, supporting layout optimisation, risk assessments and permit procedures grounded in science.

TNO develops and evaluates mitigation strategies such as smart curtailment, threshold based operational adjustments and design modifications. These measures reduce ecological risk while limiting loss of energy production, ensuring sustainable, economically viable wind farm operations.

3M approach — Measure–Model–Mitigate (3M) methodology

Solutions and value we offer: from high resolution monitoring to system level optimisation

Aerosense: A proven system for objective collision detection, originating from TNO research and commercialised via spinoff AeroSense. It provides factual evidence on interactions between species and turbines. -Bird-off
BirdSafe: Comprehensive offshore migration studies integrating radar, imaging and ecological analysis to map behaviour, flight heights and migration intensity. In the image below, you can see Array of Night-vision cameras installed on the transition piece a the 11MW turbine within HKZ for the Birdsafe project.

c-BirdSafe-GROW-6A

Bat monitoring & modelling: Tailored solutions including Bat Track & Trace for identifying movement patterns and assessing speciesspecific risk profiles. specific risk profiles. -specific risk profiles.

Don’t see the exact monitoring solution that fits your monitoring needs? Contact us and lets design it together.

TNO transforms sensor observations into actionable insights through AI and advanced modelling. These tools underpin permit applications, assess cumulative effects across wind farms, and support targeted, evidence-based mitigation, restricting curtailment to only those moments when risks are scientifically validated.

Black Blade and related projects (including ZWEMT) demonstrate how turbine design adaptations and operational strategies can reduce collision risks while maintaining energy yields. These initiatives illustrate how ecology and wind energy can both benefit when interventions are guided by data.
Smart curtailment: Dynamic, detection-based operational adjustments that significantly minimise production losses compared to static curtailment regimes.

Our solutions operate at any scale, from individual turbine settings and wind farm layouts to North Sea system-wide modelling that incorporates migration corridors, ecological objectives and energy dispatch. This enables strategic, long-term optimisation of energy production within ecological boundaries.

TNO leads pioneering research such as Aerosense, Black Blade, BirdSafe, and Bat Track & Trace. We work closely with, Wageningen University & Research, , University of Amsterdam, ecological consultancy bureaus and numerous European offshore developers.

These partnerships enhance scientific credibility and ensure solutions are scalable across different regulatory and natural environments

Why TNO?

Value creation through reduced unnecessary curtailment, faster permitting and resilient ecological performance, enabling sustainable expansion of wind energy.
Independent expertise trusted by government, industry and ecology partners.
Regulatory alignment, supporting compliance with evolving environmental legislation and impact assessment requirements.
TNO is committed to delivering robust, technology driven solutions that ensure wind energy growth goes hand in hand with ecological preservation and restoration.

We invite developers, policymakers, regulators and NGOs to explore how our 3M approach can support your project, whether in site selection, permitting, monitoring strategy or operational optimisation.

Are you looking to build a solution that is not readily offered on this page? We are happy to have an exploratory conversation on what we could develop to meet your research needs.

Contact us

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Joep Breuer

Functie:
Senior Consultant Wind Energy/Ecology
Joep accelerates the energy transition with a strong focus on ecology. He draws on TNO’s broad expertise to connect a wide range of stakeholders. Driven by a passion for innovation, he explores new technological possibilities that help solve complex challenges and move us towards a more sustainable future.

More about Joep
- Standplaats:
  Rijswijk - Kesslerpark
- Email:
  Email Joep
Grace Paranjape

Functie:
Business developer Energy Supply
Grace drives the development of strategic partnerships and innovation pathways that accelerate the energy transition. She focuses on translating emerging opportunities into scalable solutions, fostering collaborations that connect market needs with cutting-edge research, and shaping sustainable business strategies for the energy systems of the future.

More about Grace
- Standplaats:
  Rijswijk - Kesslerpark
- Email:
  Email Grace