Wind turbines hazardous to bats
It is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about wind farms. But wind turbines require warning lights for air traffic safety, and can be seen for many kilometers, blinking away in the night sky.
At night, looking from Kythira to the North-East and since recently also to the West (the Mani peninsula) you can very clearly see the bright red lights of the wind parks on the Peloponnese. And these are at least 35 kms away!
It is not only an absolute eyesore for humans but also dangerous for animals. Scientists found that European pipistrelle bats (common in Greece) are actually drawn to the red lights. It seems the lighting blinds and disorients them. Based on a recent study of 29 wind farms by the University of Exeter, it is estimated that in the UK yearly around 80.000 bats are being killed by turbines. In the US the number of bat fatalities is even much higher, around 600.000.
The solution for this problem is on-demand lighting which only turns on if an plane approaches. A technology like that is already in use in countries like Germany. The problem however is that a sophisticated system like that has a considerable price tag. So it is very unlikely that it will be used for the proposed wind parks on Kythira.
Images of exissting wind parks at night (click to enlarge)
