Forecasting

Itron Leads Industry in Energy Forecasting

May 28, 2014

Meeting Highlights Issues and Solutions for ISOs and RTOs
At the start of May, over 20 representatives from 11 different U.S. and Canadian Independent System Operators (ISOs) and Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) met to discuss common issues associated with forecasting electricity demand. In its 8th year, the ISO Forecasting Summit has become a vital source of information to these forecasters.

This summit is a unique event that brings together forecasters from various ISOs and RTOs to discuss common forecasting challenges that they face. Each year, the prospective attendees decide topics in advance that they would like to address. Discussion topics typically range from sub-hourly forecasting models and techniques that support generation scheduling and dispatching, to long-term forecasting to support capacity planning.

This year the meeting was hosted by the California ISO at their state-of-the-art facilities in Folsom, California. Presentations and roundtables focused on the effects of economic data on long-term forecasts and investigating the results of incorporating Autoregressive (AR) Terms in models to reduce forecast errors. Attendees often present challenges that are specific to their region– Alberta Electric System Operator’s (AESO) oil sands industry for example, and solicit feedback from peers on alternative modeling techniques and approaches. There were also multiple discussions on the very hot topic of forecasting solar generation and its impact on energy forecasts.

Based on the feedback we receive, it is clear that the result of this annual collaboration is an agreement by the ISOs of what the best practices are in short and long-term forecasting at the ISO level. This meeting is a perfect example of Itron and its customers coming together to learn from one another and offer ideas and solutions. Every year this meeting grows, which is a true testament of its benefit to our customers and the energy industry. This meeting demonstrates Itron’s long standing philosophy of sharing knowledge in our industry.

By Dr. Frank A. Monforte


Director of Forecasting Solutions


Dr. Frank A. Monforte is Director of Forecasting Solutions at Itron, where he is an internationally recognized authority in the areas of real-time load and generation forecasting, retail portfolio forecasting, and long-term energy forecasting. Dr. Monforte’s real-time forecasting expertise includes authoring the load forecasting models used to support real-time system operations for the North American system operators, the California ISO, the New York ISO, the Midwest ISO, ERCOT, the IESO, and the Australian system operators AEMO and Western Power. Recent efforts include authoring embedded solar, solar plant, and wind farm generation forecast models used to support real-time operations at the California ISO. Dr. Monforte founded the annual ISO/TSO Forecasting Summit that brings together ISO/TSO forecasters from around the world to discuss forecasting challenges unique to their organizations. He directs the implementation of Itron’s Retail Forecasting System, including efforts for energy retailers operating in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Italy, Australia, and the U.S. These systems produce energy forecasts for retail portfolios of interval metered and non-interval metered customers. The forecast models he has developed support forecasting of power, gas and heat demand and forecasting of wind, solar, landfill gas, and mine gas generation. Dr. Monforte presides over the annual Itron European Energy Forecasting Group meeting that brings together European Energy Forecasters for an open exchange of ideas and solutions. Dr. Monforte directed the development of Itron’s Statistically Adjusted End-Use Forecasting model and supporting data. He founded the Energy Forecasting Group, which directs primary research in the area of long-run end-use forecasting. Recent efforts include designing economic indices that provide long-run forecast stability during periods of economic uncertainty. Email Frank at frank.monforte@itron.com, or click here to connect on LinkedIn.


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