Protocols to implement an avian and bat protection plan and to monitor bird and bat fatalities at large solar photovoltaic power projects

Background/Questions/Methods

• Whereas fatality search protocols have been developed for wind energy facilities for birds and bats, little is known about how to estimate the total number or fatalities at a solar photovotaic project.
• One of our primary questions was how much of the area is needed to be able to reach a 90% Confidence Level for estimating total fatalities. 
• Additionally we were interested in knowing how often we needed to survey for fatalities to a given carcass searcher bias and carcass removal rates reach 90% Confidence Level for estimating total fatalities   
• After monitoring for fatalities at a 250 MW solar photovoltaic power plant located in the  NE Carrizo Plain, San Luis Obispo County, California for one full year, we used a power analysis to determine the level of effort needed to reach 90% Confidence Level for estimating total fatalities   

Results/Conclusions

• We determined that a 20% spatial coverage for surveying for carcasses was sufficient to reach a 90% confidence interval.
• The power analysis suggested that searches conducted once a week was sufficient to reach a 90% confidence interval.