TÜV NORD reaches a milestone in the testing of anti-collision systems
First digital validation successfully tested – for efficient species conservation at wind turbines.
First digital validation successfully tested – for efficient species conservation at wind turbines.
Anti-collision systems (ACS) make an important contribution to the environmentally sustainable expansion of wind energy. These systems detect bird species at risk of collision in the vicinity of wind turbines and enable the turbines to be shut down as required. TÜV NORD has now successfully completed the testing of the first digital validation of an anti-collision system. The system validated was the AVES Wind® ACS from ProTecBird.
Using AI-supported real-time camera technology, anti-collision systems are triggered when bird species at risk of collision approach a wind turbine. Depending on the situation, individual wind turbines or entire wind farms can be selectively shut down to reduce the risk of collision whilst limiting blanket shutdown periods to the absolute minimum. Since 2024, the test framework for anti-collision systems has provided a uniform assessment standard for the testing and validation of such systems. TÜV NORD has now successfully completed the first digital validation test in accordance with the AKS test framework. This involves assessing the performance of an anti-collision system on the basis of video and image data that has already been collected, thereby eliminating the need for additional field trials. “Digital validation procedures open up new possibilities for efficient, traceable and robust verification of the performance of anti-collision systems,” says Jan Hauschild, Head of Risk and Site Assessment in the Renewable Energy division at TÜV NORD.
The digital validation procedures can be used as a supplementary test on top of system tests that have already been completed. “The advantage is that this reduces both the effort required by anti-collision system manufacturers to produce the validation documentation and the effort required by TÜV NORD to review the documentation. At the same time, the validity of the documentation is maintained and the performance of the systems can be demonstrated in a transparent and verifiable manner,” says Hauschild. AKS manufacturer ProTecBird is also delighted with the success: “The fact that our AVES Wind anti-collision system is the first to have been successfully tested by TÜV NORD as part of a digital validation process is a special endorsement for us. It shows that technical bird protection not only works, but can also be demonstrated efficiently and transparently. It is precisely this combination of innovation and reliability that we need to drive the energy transition forward swiftly and in an environmentally sustainable manner,” says Thorsten Heinzen, Managing Director of ProTecBird. In addition to testing anti-collision systems, TÜV NORD supports the further development of technical requirements and assessment methods for anti-collision systems in various specialist committees (DKE, IEC, MEKUN LFU).
About ProTecBird
ProTecBird is a German AI technology company specialising in environmental protection relating to birds, combining ornithological expertise with technical know-how to serve a rapidly growing market. The technology start-up was founded in Husum in 2021 and offers innovative product solutions based on artificial intelligence (AI) for the renewable energy, aviation and industrial sectors. By 2024, ProTecBird had successfully made the transition from start-up to scale-up and, with a steadily growing team now comprising over 49 highly qualified permanent staff, had laid the foundations for rapid growth.
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