Developing the potential of wind energy is the aim of a research program by University of California, Davis, engineering professors Case van Dam and Bruce White. Van Dam and White use wind tunnel models and computer simulations to find ways to reduce running costs and maximize revenue from wind turbines. Projects include: predicting and changing power output; finding the best places to put turbines; predicting air flow through wind parks; and protecting turbines from wind gust damage. The UC Davis researchers are collaborating with Davis-based consultants Dynamic Design, NASA's Ames Research Center, the California Energy Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado.