Mr. Weers is a data scientist, developer, and researcher in the Advanced Data Analytics & Tools Group within the Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) at NREL, where he has developed numerous high-profile data management solutions for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the White House, and the United Nations. He has over 20 years of experience developing data-driven, interactive web applications for research organizations, governments, and private industry. Prior to joining NREL in 2010, Weers was the founder of a startup company in the real estate sector that integrated public data APIs with custom web solutions and a lead developer at The Library Corp, where he designed and implemented large-scale, web-based, modular management platform for the Chicago and Denver public library systems.

Mr. Weers is an Eagle Scout, a level 2-certified snowboard instructor with the Professional Ski Instructors of America & American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI), an internationally recognized expert on open data and data provenance, and a speaker on data management philosophy and best practices.

As an NREL researcher, Weers has authored numerous papers on data management best practices, emerging data science trends, and the challenges of working with big data. He has received several awards, including the Alliance for Sustainable Energy’s President’s Award in 2014 and 2012, as well as an NREL Staff Award in 2013.

Areas of Expertise

Data Management Solutions
Data Provenance
Interactive Web Applications
Data Visualization
User Experience (UX) Design
Project Management

Featured Projects

OpenEI Open Energy Information
DOE Geothermal Data Repository (GDR)
DOE Marine and Hydrokinetic Data Repository (MHKDR)

Featured Publications and Websites

Weers, J. and Anderson, A. 2016. The DOE Geothermal Data Repository and the Future of Geothermal Data. Proceedings: 41st Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California (2016). NREL/CP-6A20-65967.

Weers, J., Anderson A., Taverna, N. 2017. The Geothermal Data Repository: Five Years of Open Geothermal Data, Benefits to the Community. GRC Transactions, Vol. 41, 2017. NREL/CP-6A20-58885.

Awards and Honors

U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Innovation Award (2015)