Method for integrating individual load forecasts into a composite load forecast to present a comprehensive synchronized and harmonized load forecast

1. A method for merging different load forecasts for power grid centers, comprising:

providing a plurality of multi-stage engines, each of a multi-stage engine providing at least one of scheduling, commitment of resources, and dispatch of resources;

implementing each of a multi-stage engine at a different time to provide the at least one of scheduling, commitment of resources and dispatch of resources;

accepting area load forecasts from the plurality of multi-stage engines;

saving load forecast data in a data base;

using a processor of a demand forecast integrator to integrate individual load forecasts into a composite load forecast to present a comprehensive, synchronized and harmonized load forecast, the demand forecast integrator including or coupled to a user interface that allows an operator to review input load forecasts and modify load forecasts via an override capability, and an ability to merge multiple load forecasts that cover a same time range to form the composite load forecast, and a persistence resource that supports auditing, and archiving of load forecasts, the demand forecast integrator capable of merging load forecasts from 3rd party engines; and

integrating the at least one of scheduling, commitment of resources and dispatch of resources for all of the multi-stage engines.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising,

using a programmatic interface that accepts the area load forecasts from load forecast engines.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

merging multiple load forecasts that cover a same time range to form a composite load forecast.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a programmatic interface that allows consuming applications to query for load forecasts covering at least one of a range of areas, intervals, and time ranges.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a persistence store to hold load forecast data.

6. A method for merging different load forecasts for power grid centers, comprising:

providing a plurality of multi-stage engines, each of a multi-stage engine providing at least one of scheduling, commitment of resources, and dispatch of resources;

accepting area load forecasts from load forecast engines within a common service framework;

saving load forecast engine data in a database; and

using a processor of a demand forecast integrator to integrate individual load forecasts into a composite load forecast to present a comprehensive, synchronized and harmonized load forecast, the demand forecast integrator including or coupled to a user interface that allows an operator to review input load forecasts and modify load forecasts via an override capability, and an ability to merge multiple load forecasts that cover a same time range to form the composite load forecast, and a persistence resource that supports auditing, and archiving of load forecasts, the demand forecast integrator capable of merging load forecasts from 3rd party engines.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

integrating an operator interface to support flexible manual override.

8. A method for merging different load forecasts for power grid centers, comprising:

providing a plurality of multi-stage engines, each of a multi-stage engine providing at least one of scheduling, commitment of resources, and dispatch of resources;

accepting area load forecasts from the plurality of multi-stage engines;

serving load forecast requests from different clients with consistent load forecast data; and

using a processor of a demand forecast integrator to integrate individual load forecasts into a composite load forecast to present a comprehensive, synchronized and harmonized load forecast, the demand forecast integrator including or coupled to a user interface that allows an operator to review input load forecasts and modify load forecasts via an override capability, and an ability to merge multiple load forecasts that cover a same time range to form the composite load forecast, and a persistence resource that supports auditing, and archiving of load forecasts, the demand forecast integrator capable of merging load forecasts from 3rd party engines.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein improved load forecasts are provided over different time horizons.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein operator interface to load forecast is streamlined with reduction of repetitive manual entries.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

providing an operator user interface to support manual override capability.

12. A method for merging different load forecasts for power grid centers, comprising:

providing a plurality of multi-stage engines, each of a multi-stage engine providing at least one of scheduling, commitment of resources, and dispatch of resources;

accepting area load forecasts from load forecast engines;

saving load forecast engine data in a database;

using a processor of a demand forecast integrator to integrate individual load forecasts into a composite load forecast to present a comprehensive, synchronized and harmonized load forecast, the demand forecast integrator including or coupled to a user interface that allows an operator to review input load forecasts and modify load forecasts via an override capability, and an ability to merge multiple load forecasts that cover a same time range to form the composite load forecast, and a persistence resource that supports auditing, and archiving of load forecasts, the demand forecast integrator capable of merging load forecasts from 3rd party engines; and

performing at least one of scaling, adding, setting and linear transformation.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

synthesizing a composite load profile for any given scheduling study period.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

using a weighting factor model to synthesize the composite load profile.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

using a set of front end programmings for inputting and retrieving load forecasts along with boundary processing.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein boundary processing includes at least one of priority and averaging.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

providing a middle-tier architecture.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the middle-tier architecture includes an service layer for web services, and exposes services to client applications.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the middle-tier architecture includes an internal service layer.