How are wind turbine data collected?
The U.S. Wind Turbine Database project compiles wind turbine information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s (LBNL) Wind Technologies Market Report dataset, the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) wind turbine and project datasets, and the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) legacy (2014) wind turbine dataset, as well as online sources. User feedback is also incorporated once verified with other sources.
The turbine position is verified by visual interpretation using high-resolution aerial imagery.
A detailed description of the data collection and verification process can be found in this webinar.
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U.S. Wind Turbine Database Viewer
Demo image of U.S. Wind Turbine Database viewer with inset of cell phone with viewer app.
Wind turbines at the Altamont Pass Wind Farm
The Altamont Pass Wind Far is located in northern California.
Wind Turbines and Rainbow
Tall wind turbines in a semi-arid shrubland with a bright rainbow
Data collection at wind energy facility
A field scientist collecting fatality data at a wind energy facility.
Sandhill Cranes Near Wind Turbines
Sandhill Cranes fly in close proximity to wind turbines near Horicon National Wildlife Refuge in east-central Wisconsin, but to date no crane mortality has been associated with turbines in this area.
Wind Turbine
Most modern wind turbines are taller than a 30-story building. Field biologist Apple Snider stands at the base of a turbine in New York for scale.
Wind Turbines
Wind turbines at certain sites in North America each cause dozens of bat fatalities per year.
Bat approaching wind turbine GIF 2
This GIF uses thermal imagery to show a bat approaching a wind turbine tower.
Wind turbines above San Gorgonio Pass, Calif.
Wind turbines above San Gorgonio Pass, Calif.