When solar power towers were introduced, it wasn’t long before they gained a reputation of being harmful to birds.
Reports from 2014 indicated that birds were being burned in mid-air as they flew above solar plants. One report even said that 150 birds were killed in a solar power test that took place early this year.
However, more recent studies have shown that solar power towers are not as harmful to birds as early reports had indicated. Many studies have shown that the death rate is very small and not likely to be ecologically significant.
Furthermore, many solar plants are still making adjustments in order to further reduce bird casualties. Experts believe that they can reduce the number of accidental bird deaths even lower.
With solar power widely seen as an efficient and effective method of renewable energy, experts want to do whatever it takes to make the facilities safe for birds and the rest of the environment.
Many experts say that traditional coal power plants do more damage to birds because of their associated environmental impact.
Some early reports showed that more than 28,000 birds would be killed by individual solar facilities on an annual basis. These early estimates have since largely been proven to be overstated. Biologists have since said that the early estimate is up to eight times too high.
Indeed, newer studies have shown that conservationists have no reason to be alarmed by the increasing use of solar power.
Birds that have been killed have died as a result of collisions and severe burns from solar flux.
However, studies have still shown that the risk for birds from solar power facilities is slightly greater than the risk for birds from wind farms.
Still, reports show that automobiles are more likely to kill birds than solar power plants.
That being said, there still isn’t enough data to paint an accurate picture. There are currently too few solar facilities to prove that they are safe for birds.
For now, energy officials will continue to make adjustments to solar facilities so that they are safe for birds. As they continue to improve, the number of bird casualties associated with solar power should continue to decline.
In the end, energy officials expect that solar power will remain a viable clean source of energy.
It’s clear that environmentalists were worried over nothing.
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