Spoor enables wind energy and wildlife to coexist

Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing renewable sectors in the world. To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, countries are rapidly expanding onshore and offshore wind capacity. Yet the expansion brings a growing responsibility: protecting biodiversity and understanding the cumulative impacts of large-scale wind development.

“Reliable biodiversity data is essential to guide responsible renewable growth,” says Ask Helseth, CEO and co-founder of Spoor. “We need to move beyond snapshot studies and into continuous, data-driven monitoring that supports both regulators and developers.”

Spoor’s AI-powered platform automates the detection, tracking, and identification of birds near wind farms. Using computer vision, the software analyses video data from existing site cameras and presents detailed biodiversity insights through a digital dashboard. This includes information on flight paths, species presence, and turbine interaction rates.

The continuous monitoring data helps wind developers and operators to understand activity patterns, reduce uncertainty, and plan mitigation actions such as curtailment or turbine layout adjustments.

“With one in five bird species in Europe now threatened, nature-positive planning is no longer optional,” says Helseth. “Spoor provides the data foundation that enables real-world biodiversity action.”

By automating data collection, Spoor extends observation beyond what human fieldwork can achieve. Its technology collects data continuously, even under challenging weather or accessibility conditions, producing richer and more consistent datasets over time.

Automation also removes observer bias, improving data quality and comparability. The result: more accurate impact assessments, streamlined compliance reporting, and better-informed operational decisions.

Spoor’s software-only model allows customers to use existing infrastructure, reducing hardware investment and speeding up deployment.

The global demand for biodiversity intelligence is accelerating, driven by new regulatory requirements such as the EU’s Nature Restoration Law and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Spoor’s scalable Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform is now deployed in multiple countries, supporting both pre- and post-construction monitoring for leading wind developers.

“We’re proud to help the wind sector quantify and mitigate its ecological footprint,” Helseth says. “By turning environmental monitoring into actionable insight, we enable the coexistence of clean energy and thriving ecosystems.”