Refoyo Román P, Olmedo Salinas C, Muñoz Araújo B

Assessing the effect of wind farms in fauna with a mathematical model.

Sci Rep. 2020 Sep 8;10(1):14785

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71758-5

RESUMEN

Energy production by wind turbines have many advantages. The wind is a renewable energy that does not emit greenhouse gases and has caused a considerable increase in wind farms around the world. However, this type of energy is not completely free of impact. In particular, wind turbines displace and kill a wide variety of wild species what forces us to plan well their location. In any case, the determination of the effects of wind farms on fauna, especially the flying one, is difficult to determine and depends on several factors In this work we will try to establish a mathematical algorithm that allows us to combine all variables that affect the species with the idea of quantifying the effect that can cause the installation of a wind farm with certain characteristics in a given place. We have considered specific parameters of wind farms, the most relevant environmental characteristics related to the location of the wind farm, and morphological, ethological and legal characteristics in the species. Two types of assesment are established for the definitive valuation. Total Assesment and Weighted Assesment. Total Valuation is established on the basis of a reference scale that will allow us to establish categories of affection for the different species while Weighted valuation allows us to establish which species are most affected.