Load Forecast Solution

The Vendor is required to provide for reliable and robust load forecasting solution that is accurate and realistic—reflecting actual market and customer behavior within the agency service area—while minimizing the impact of outliers and anomalies.
- The platform will replace or augment existing tools and shall integrate with internal systems including Single Sign-On (SSO), Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), and data sources. 
- The solution shall also include premium maintenance and support services.
- Provide a scalable, secure, and user-friendly no-code platform that delivers agency, with a robust meter-level demand insights and net-load forecasting solution capable of producing forecasts at the customer segment, feeder and substation levels. 
- The solution shall leverage high granularity customer meter data, including Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI) data to characterize consumption behavior by customer class and end-use. 
- This capability shall enable improved load modeling accuracy and support more reliable short, medium, and long-term gross and net load forecasts. In response to the changes in the Council market, the solution shall enhance agency ability to obtain more accurate and granular load and demand forecast, thereby better serving agency and its customers.
- Cloud hosting services, including hosting, availability, security, backup, and disaster recovery.
- The forecast purpose and intended business use cases (e.g., planning, operations, and market participation).
- The modeling approach and level of granularity (e.g., customer segment, feeder, substation).
- The data inputs and assumptions used to develop and maintain the forecasts.
- The forecast update frequency and calibration approach.
- The methodology for validating and measuring forecast accuracy.
- The system-level, Weather Zone-level, and load forecasts for user-defined historical and forward-looking time horizons, as well as weather and other influencing factors necessary for accurate forecasting.
- Customer load data and related attributes required to support load forecasting, at appropriate levels of granularity.
- Provide tools and interfaces capable of integrating with external applications using industry standard protocols (e.g., SFTP, SSO).
- Provide ongoing maintenance and support including Service Level Agreements (SLAs) required for available and incident responses and escalation.
- Provide required hardware, if applicable, and standard software (i.e. operating system and supporting software utilities, etc.). 
- Provide software updates and technical support via internet, telephone or email, as well as assistance in resolving user’s model errors and general assistance in the use of the model.