Wind is the largest source of renewable energy in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, but wind farms have an environmental cost, as wind turbines can wreak havoc on bird populations. Meet Spoor, a startup that uses AI to help wind farms reduce risk.
Spoor is software that uses machine learning to detect birds on videos, while also recording their movements and predicting their flight patterns. Ask Helseth, co-founder and CEO of Spoor, told TechCrunch that government regulations in some countries limit the impact wind farms have on birds, especially in areas with endangered species. He said that before the advent of AI-powered computer vision, such monitoring did not occur. That's a good way to do it.
“Expectations from regulators are increasing, but the industry lacks good tools,” Helseth said. “Many people [go out] Go out in the field with binoculars and a trained dog to see how many birds are hitting the turbines. ”
Spor's system of continuously monitoring the site has resulted in significant improvements, Helseth said. Existing wind farms can use that data to better adapt to bird migration patterns, slowing down or even shutting down their wind turbines when bird activity is expected to increase. can. Companies can also use the technology to monitor potential sites for wind farms and assess risks to local bird populations.
“Wind farms are huge, hundreds of square kilometers. Trying to use computer vision to basically monitor the air is an interesting technical challenge,” Helseth said. “We needed to create a scalable technology that could detect birds. This is kind of a novel use of computer vision and proprietary data pipelines.”
The Oslo, Norway-based company just raised a $4 million seed round from investors including Futurum Ventures, Nysnø, and biodiversity-focused VC Superorganism. Also participating in the round was Orsted Ventures, the venture arm of Orsted, one of the world's largest offshore wind power companies.
Helseth said they received inbound interest from more than 100 investors for their seed round and were very strategic in deciding who to work with. The only company they contacted was Superorganism. Kevin Webb, co-founder and managing director of Superorganism, said his company has been following Spoor for some time and is excited about the investment. That's because Spoor fits perfectly into Superorganism's philosophy of supporting companies that help the planet reach zero emissions without harming nature and the environment. Biodiversity in the process.
“We saw them very early on, and once we got to know them, they started working with the largest wind energy developer on the planet,” Webb told TechCrunch. “Ask and his team have made some incredibly talented hires. We have frankly been amazed by the progress they have made in strengthening our team.”
Spoor's launch in Norway was a helpful factor in the company's development, as the country has an advanced wind energy program. Additionally, Helseth said Europe is moving ahead in adopting wind energy compared to the United States. However, the company has its sights set on expanding into the United States, which should be an unexpected accomplishment for itself.
The U.S. government has an aggressive goal of reaching 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, which presents a huge opportunity for companies like Spur. Companies wishing to establish wind farms in the United States must follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service guidelines to ensure that their wind farms do not violate laws such as the Endangered Species Act or the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. There is a need. U.S. regulators are particularly strict about how wind turbines affect America's bald eagle population. Helseth added that he has seen wind farms delayed or not built at all due to issues related to native bird populations.
Spor isn't the only one using AI machine vision to solve problems. Others include Woolnorth Renewables and Robin Rader.
Still, Helseth hopes that Spool will eliminate some of those bottlenecks and be a positive growth factor for the industry moving forward.
“People say we are still a small company, but there is interest from all over the world and the industry is looking for our solutions,” Helseth said.