ML4WX

Applications & impacts

Artificial Learning Dispatch Planning with Probabilistic Forecasts: Using Uncertainties as an Asset

Ana Carolina do amaral Burghi, Tobias Hirsch, Robert Pitz‐Paal

Energies ·

PaperPDF

In one sentence. Extends concentrated solar dispatch planning with probabilistic weather forecasts and an ML calibration step, reporting up to 15% higher revenue than a persistence approach.

Abstract

Weather forecast uncertainty is a key element for energy market volatility. By intelligently considering uncertainties on the schedule development, renewable energy systems with storage could improve dispatching accuracy, and therefore, effectively participate in electricity wholesale markets. Deterministic forecasts have been traditionally used to support dispatch planning, representing reduced or no uncertainty information about the future weather. Aiming at better representing the uncertainties involved, probabilistic forecasts have been developed to increase forecasting accuracy. For the dispatch planning, this can highly influence the development of a more precise schedule. This work extends a dispatch planning method to the use of probabilistic weather forecasts. The underlying method used a schedule optimizer coupled to a post-processing machine learning algorithm. This machine learning algorithm was adapted to include probabilistic forecasts, considering their additional information on uncertainties. This post-processing applied a calibration of the planned schedule considering the knowledge about uncertainties obtained from similar past situations. Simulations performed with a concentrated solar power plant model following the proposed strategy demonstrated promising financial improvement and relevant potential in dealing with uncertainties. Results especially show that information included in probabilistic forecasts can increase financial revenues up to 15% (in comparison to a persistence solar driven approach) if processed in a suitable way.

Labels

Topic
Applications & impacts, Post-processing & calibration
Type
Application study
Method
Classical ML (trees, GP, linear, kernels)
Time scale
6 h–3 days
Domain
Local / station
Data
Other
Status
Research
Identifiers
DOI:10.3390/en13030616 OpenAlex:W3004183351
Added
2026-10-22

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