The future high rate of deployment of renewable energy will require a substantial increase in the installed wind power capacity towards 2020 and beyond, in fact this demand corresponds approximately to the installation of one large turbine every hour for the next decade. This is a substantial “grand challenge” as outlined in the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) from 2009, which is the technology pillar of the EU’s energy and climate policy. The new WINDSCANNER research infrastructure facility has been conceived in the logic of the SET Plan and the vision of the European Innovation Union (Europe 2020 Strategy). The WINDSCANNER aims to enhance the European competitiveness in the wind energy sector and maintain European technological leadership in detailed high-resolution remote sensing measurement methodologies of wind and turbulence for wind energy.This ESFRI WindScanner Preparatory Phase (PP) project develops the governance scheme, legal model, and the final technological design and associated budget and financing models for its construction by 2016. The WINDSCANNER PP project will address coordinated European development of the facility in a joint technological and economically substantial European approach.The operational WINDSCANNER facility will be designed around:A central facility with the functions of handling the data management, hosting servers, hosting of website, administrative office, training of technicians and researchers who will operate the WindScanners, training of users, etc.Anticipated 6 new partner nodes equipped with mobile WindScanners used at existing or planned test facilities all over Europe (in different climate conditions and terrains)This WINDSCANNER facility will underpin the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) Joint Program on Wind Energy and its research activities on remote sensing based mapping of regional wind resources and wind conditions on and offshore.