Load Forecasting & Energy Scheduling Flashcards
7 cards from real SOPD practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Load Forecasting & Energy Scheduling flashcards as text
The 'unit commitment' problem in energy scheduling determines:
Answer: Which generating units to start up or shut down over a planning horizon
Unit commitment solves which generators should be online or offline over a scheduling horizon, balancing startup costs, fuel costs, and reliability requirements.
A system operator notices that actual load is tracking 8% above the day-ahead forecast on a summer afternoon. Which is the FIRST corrective action?
Answer: Issue a real-time adjustment to dispatch additional committed reserves
Dispatching pre-committed reserves is the first response to a load-above-forecast condition before escalating to emergency procedures.
Which statistical method is MOST commonly used to forecast short-term (next 24 hours) electric load?
Answer: Regression analysis with weather and time variables
Multiple linear regression combining weather variables (temperature, humidity) with time-of-day and day-of-week factors is the most widely used short-term forecasting method.
During a cold snap, a load forecast model shows higher-than-expected morning load. This phenomenon is BEST described as:
Answer: Morning pickup or cold load pickup
Cold load pickup occurs when thermostatic loads that were off during an outage or overnight all energize simultaneously, causing a sharp demand surge.
An interchange schedule between Control Area A and Control Area B is set at 500 MW export from A. If actual flow is 520 MW, the 20 MW difference is called:
Answer: Inadvertent energy flow
Inadvertent energy is the difference between scheduled and actual interchange flow, tracked and settled between control areas periodically.
Which type of load forecasting error has the GREATEST potential to cause a reliability problem?
Answer: A 10% underestimate on the annual system peak day
A significant underestimate on the peak demand day is most dangerous because adequate generation and reserves may not be committed when the system is most stressed.
In energy markets, a 'day-ahead market' schedule becomes binding at:
Answer: The close of the day-ahead market, typically the evening before operating day
Day-ahead market schedules are binding after the market closes, typically around 10 AM to noon the day before, establishing the energy schedule for the next operating day.