Artificial Neural Networks as Applied to Long-Term Demand Forecasting

Abstract

This paper reports on the application of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to long-term load forecasting. The ANN model is used to forecast the energy requirements of an electric utility. It is then compared to time series models. The comparison reveals that the ANN produces results that are close to the actual data. The ANN model is then used to forecast the annual peak demand of a Middle Eastern utility up to the year 2006. The results compare favorably with the utility’s forecast.