Practice Test Geeks(SOPD) System Operator/Power Dispatching Practice Test
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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

  1. Which metric BEST measures the accuracy of a load forecast over time?

    Answer: Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE)

    MAPE expresses forecast error as a percentage of actual load, allowing comparison of accuracy across different load levels and time periods.

  2. A system operator must schedule hydro generation for a river system with limited reservoir capacity. The MOST important constraint in this schedule is:

    Answer: Water discharge requirements and downstream flow obligations

    Hydro scheduling must respect water availability, reservoir storage limits, minimum downstream flow requirements, and environmental/regulatory discharge obligations.

  3. When an energy schedule is 'tagged' through an energy management system (EMS), this means the schedule has been:

    Answer: Confirmed and approved for interchange between control areas

    Tagging an interchange schedule confirms it has been approved by all relevant control areas and is ready for implementation as a binding energy transfer.

  4. Load forecasting accuracy typically DECREASES as the forecast horizon increases because:

    Answer: Weather and economic uncertainties compound over longer time periods

    Longer forecast horizons accumulate uncertainty in weather forecasts, economic conditions, customer behavior, and unforeseen events, reducing forecast accuracy.

  5. A control area's 'load-following' service differs from 'regulation' service in that load-following:

    Answer: Addresses slower, predictable load changes over minutes to hours

    Load-following resources address gradual, predictable demand changes over minutes to hours, while regulation addresses fast, random fluctuations via AGC signals.

  6. Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of a 'load shape' in energy scheduling?

    Answer: The hourly or sub-hourly pattern of demand over a day or week

    A load shape describes the time-varying pattern of electricity demand, showing how load rises and falls across hours of the day or days of the week.

  7. During energy scheduling, if a generator's 'must-run' status is designated, this means the unit:

    Answer: Must remain online regardless of economic dispatch results due to reliability needs

    Must-run status requires a unit to stay online because it provides essential reliability services (such as local voltage support) that cannot be replaced by economic dispatch decisions.