What happens when innovation meets responsibility? klimaVest launched a pilot project in 2025 at the Tout Vent wind farm in France, which shows how species protection and energy production can be combined. The aim was to better protect the local bat population and at the same time keep the wind yield at the highest possible level.

Bats: In the conflict between climate change and wind energy

Wind power plants are a key lever for reducing CO2 emissions - the energy sector alone was most recently responsible for around 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 in Europe.¹ But as important as wind power is for climate change mitigation, it is also in conflict with the protection of regional animal species. It is repeatedly reported that plants can become a danger for birds and also for the strictly protected bats.

The question is therefore: How can the expansion of renewable energies be driven forward without neglecting species protection? Because both are closely linked. Climate change is already threatening bat species today, mild winters are changing their habitats, and insect death is limiting their food base.²³

Why are bats particularly at risk? They often fly at rotor height and cannot detect the fast-rotating blades in time. The risk of collision is high - and usually fatal. As bats only give birth to a few young animals per year, even small losses endanger entire populations.  

Wind turbines are therefore subject to strict species protection regulations. Nevertheless, additional efforts are needed to preserve biodiversity and at the same time advance the expansion of renewables. Combining both is crucial: Short-term protection of animal species and long-term climate change mitigation are two sides of the same coin.

How can the dilemma be solved?

To protect bats, wind turbines are now shut down in certain environmental conditions, such as low wind, dry weather and twilight. These measures are essential for species protection, but often lead to loss of yield. 

At klimaVest, we have implemented a technology-based solution for the dilemma together with Fleximaus GmbH and operations managers such as BayWa r.e., Energiekontor and Juwi. The sites with the highest losses were specifically analysed in order to optimise the shutdown logics. Fleximaus introduced a specialised methodology that replaces existing sensors and controls with more precise, data-based systems. 

The Results Are In

The use of the new control systems has reduced yield losses due to shutdowns to protect bats by 43 percent compared to the previous logic. In the last two months alone, this has resulted in an additional production of 219 MWh, an additional revenue of around 16,500 euros. Projected over the entire year with its seasonal fluctuations, this results in an additional yield of around 1,700 MWh or 130,000 euros. As a result, the investment costs are expected to be amortised within the first critical bat protection period, i.e. between March and October. 

These figures clearly show the potential of intelligent control systems - especially during the summer months, when bat activity is high and there is less wind.

So what happens next?

In Germany, implementation is still characterised by political and regulatory hurdles. klimaVest is in close dialogue with manufacturers and authorities. In parallel, Fleximaus is working on scientific studies to prove the success of the optimizations in order to simplify approval processes and enable deployment at other sites. Objective: Harmonising species protection and energy yield even better - and not only in France.