This is an excerpt from the Second Quarter 2011 edition of the Wind Program R&D Newsletter.

When the Wind ENergy Data and Information (WENDI) Gateway came online in March 2010, it made it much easier to find authoritative answers to wind energy-related questions. The standards-based virtual data repository is designed to be a one-stop shop for users, from experts to the general public. Developed by DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in support of DOE's Wind & Water Power Program, the website leverages existing wind-energy information, metadata, and data visualization. ORNL added analyses, too, to assist researchers in understanding and using the data.

The analytical capabilities available through WENDI should help promote the growth of wind power technologies in the United States by allowing anyone to efficiently tap into an expansive wind-energy knowledge base. For example, its keyword-based search instantly gives access to thousands of recent IEEE wind energy-related research and technical publications. The site's visual capabilities allow users to create unique maps highlighting wind plant locations, and then contextualize them with variables ranging from roads to radar sites. This type of graphic can serve as a quick guide for someone seeking sites that may be suitable for future wind development.

Currently, WENDI has two main features: the WENDI Gateway Metadata Clearinghouse, containing more than 5,500 records; and the WENDI Gateway Wind Geographic Information System (WindGIS), an internet-based technology for displaying spatial data. The clearinghouse component enables users to access peer-reviewed publications as well as an array of industry reports, turbine model specifications, wind resource data, and environmental impact studies. WindGIS allows users with any standard Web browser to query, display, and download U.S. wind energy-related spatial data. The overlay function of the tool gives a site visitor the ability to easily compare information. For example, during a query, a user can select National Renewable Energy Laboratory wind resource assessments coupled with electric transmission line locations or ecosystem types to gain a better understanding of a particular issue.

Stakeholders looking at specific wind-energy siting issues can also benefit from this gateway. WindGIS can pinpoint the geographical distribution and growth of wind energy plants and then add links to information like wildlife impact studies for those plants. Because the tools and interfaces on this site have been designed to help the discovery, visualization, and downloading of information, users can enrich their understanding of wind energy with the most up-to-date definitive knowledge.

The ORNL Wind Program works to improve the environmental performance of wind systems. For more information, visit ORNL's wind energy website.