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The WiNDC 2.0 Environment

This document describes how to set up the proper Python environment for the WiNDC 2.0 data stream.

The files that facilitate data processing are written in Python 3.6. Python code relies on Python packages, so you first need to create the proper Python environment where all necessary packages are installed. We assume that your package manager is Conda and that it is already installed on your machine. Please consult the Anaconda webpage for more details.

Setting up the WiNDC 2.0 environment

  1. Download the files of the WiNDC data stream from GitHub. Click on the button "Clone or Download" to clone the repository to your local machine or simply download a .zip file (80 KB) with all files.
    Take care to not disrupt the directory structure. Set up the new environment in the directory windc_datastream.
  2. Create the windc environment by running the following command on the command line or terminal in the windc_datastream directory:
    conda env create -f windc.yml
    Verify that the new environment was created properly with this command:
    conda info --envs
    For more information on environment creation and management in Conda, see the official documentation.
  3. Install the GAMS Python 3.6 API files manually in the windc environment. Enter the new environment with the following command:
    conda activate windc
    Then follow the instructions on the GAMS website.
  4. Install the Python package gdxtools in the windc environment. Adam Christensen created this package to facilitate exchanging data between Python and GAMS. Use the following command:
    pip install gdxtools
    Note that this install will fail if the GAMS API was not properly installed in step 3.
  5. Verify that the GAMS and gdxtools packages have been successfully installed in the windc environment by entering:
    conda list

Your Python environment is now ready!