Back to overview

Demand simulator

Demand simulation combines four connected capabilities: native load models, spatial load growth modeling, explicit load modifiers, and reconciliation across the electrical hierarchy.

Native load models

Forecasting the load already expressed in historical trends

Native load models learn the continuation of organic historical demand patterns using measurement data, weather, calendar effects, economic activity, population, and local grid context.

This represents business-as-usual demand before adding explicit future technology and large-load changes.

Native demand signal · Feeder 04Historical learning → forecast
Learns fromMeasurementsWeatherCalendarEconomy + populationGrid context
Historical native trendP10–P90 forecast rangeP50
HIGHLOW20222024202620282030HISTORYFORECAST WEATHER-NORMALIZED ORGANIC TREND8,760-HOUR FORECAST QUANTILESP90P50P10
Business-as-usual demand · before explicit modifiers
Resolution
Hourly shape
Signal
Organic growth
Level
Local baseline
Historical load quality controlTraining history · illustrative
Raw measurementCorrected historyDetected artifact
ISOLATED ANOMALYLOAD-TRANSFER STEP HIGHLOWHIGHLOWSTARTLATEST RAW MEASUREMENTSCLEAN TRAINING HISTORYUNDERLYING TREND PRESERVED
Detect
Find discontinuities
Classify
Explain the cause
Correct
Protect the trend

Preprocessing

Correcting the historical trend before training the model(s)

The simulator supports anomaly detection, load transfer detection, and correction of artificial step changes. This protects the native model from learning operational artifacts as if they were true growth patterns.

Spatial forecasting

Modelling spatial load growth

Customer and development growth is modeled using customer classes, building and postal-code data, land-use and zoning assumptions, known connection activity, and local growth projections.

GIS and electrical-network relationships allocate that growth to feeders, transformers, substations, service areas, and Points of Delivery (PoDs), allowing each area to follow a localized growth trajectory rather than a uniform system-wide rate.

Spatial growth allocationRegional outlook → local assets
Growth concentrationElectrical networkKnown development
SUB-AFDR-01FDR-04FDR-07SERVICE TERRITORY + ELECTRICAL CONNECTIVITY LOCAL TRAJECTORIESFDR-01LOWERFDR-04MODERATEFDR-07HIGHER BASEHORIZON
Geography
Locate growth
Network
Assign to assets
Forecast
Local trajectories

Load modifiers

Modelling Electrification and Emerging Technologies Explicitly

EV adoption → charging demandOne coherent scenario · illustrative
Adoption pathwayAllocated EVsCharging profile
REGIONAL ADOPTIONVEHICLE SCENARIOTODAYHORIZON GIS + GRID ALLOCATIONNEIGHBORHOODS → FEEDERS HOURLY CHARGINGLOCAL 8,760 PROFILESFDR-01 · COMMUTERFDR-04 · MIXEDFDR-07 · FLEET00h12h24h
Adoption
Scenario pathway
Allocation
Place EV demand
Output
Feeder 8,760s

Load modifier

Electric Vehicles

EV adoption is modeled from the harmonized input scenario, then allocated through GIS-informed relationships using economic, demographic, land-use, customer, and grid data. The output is a feeder-level 8760-hourly load profile realization of the scenario, rather than one uniform share spread evenly across every neighborhood.

Load modifier

Solar PV and Behind-the-Fence Generation

PV and behind-the-fence generation are drawn from the same scenario as demand that is a single adoption, weather, economic, land-use, and grid draw propagated consistently across pillars. Geospatial models convert regional PV outlooks into feeder-level adoption scenarios, identifying where net-demand and reverse-flow impacts land first. The outputs are feeder-level probabilistic 8760-hourly behind-the-fence PV generation profiles.

Behind-the-fence supply → net demandShared scenario + weather · illustrative
Rooftop PVOnsite generationReverse flow
REGIONAL OUTLOOKADOPTED CAPACITYTODAYHORIZONPVONSITE FEEDER ALLOCATIONROOFTOPS + ONSITE ASSETS COINCIDENT PROFILESLOCAL 24-HOUR VIEWBTF SUPPLYNET FEEDER FLOWZEROREVERSE FLOW00h12h24h
Adoption
Supply outlook
Allocation
Place generation
Output
Feeder net demand
Thermal electrification → weather-sensitive demandFeeder 04 · illustrative
Adoption pathwayCold-day loadHot-day load
REGIONAL ADOPTIONEQUIPMENT SCENARIOTODAYHORIZONHEAT PUMPSCOOLING WEATHER RESPONSETEMPERATURE → LOADCOLDMILDHOTHEATINGCOOLING FEEDER PROFILESLOCAL 24-HOUR VIEWWINTER · COLD SNAPSUMMER · HEAT WAVE00h12h24h8,760-HOUR WEATHER-COHERENT OUTPUT
Adoption
Equipment uptake
Weather
Temperature response
Output
Seasonal feeder load

Load modifier

Thermal Electrification

Heat pumps and electrified space conditioning reshape weather sensitivity by shifting the size, shape, and season of peak. The demand simulator draws these from the same scenario as everything else, translating regional heat-pump and AC outlooks into feeder-level adoption scenarios under one consistent adoption, weather, economic, building, and land-use draw. The outputs are feeder-level probabilistic 8760-hourly thermal electrification load profiles.

Load modifier

Data Centers and Large Loads

Data centers, industrial projects, new communities, and major developments are modeled as explicit additions rather than trend extrapolation. Each carries its own realization probability, energization date, staging and ramp-up, and hourly operating shape.

Open data center simulator
Large-load project realizationPortfolio scenario · illustrative
Energization windowScenario dateStaged capacity
YEAR 13579 DC-01DATA CENTERHIGH LIKELIHOODIND-02INDUSTRIALMED LIKELIHOODDEV-03NEW COMMUNITYMED LIKELIHOOD HOURLY OPERATING SHAPESSELECTED REALIZATION DC-01 · STEADYIND-02 · SHIFTSDEV-03 · EVENING
Realization
Project probability
Delivery
Date + ramp-up
Operation
Hourly profile
Modifier baseline reconciliationEmbedded today ≠ added again
1 · RECOVER NATIVE HISTORY2 · BUILD FUTURE TOTAL Measured net loadHISTORICAL 24 H Known embedded modifiers+ ADD BACK BTF SUPPLY− REMOVE EMBEDDED LOADSEV · HEAT PUMPS · OTHER KNOWN LOADS Recovered native loadCLEAN BASELINE BASE-YEAR ANCHOR Native forecastORGANIC DEMAND + Future modifier incrementFUTURE SCENARIOEMBEDDED BASE YEARONLY THE DIFFERENCE IS ADDED = Future total demandNO DOUBLE COUNT EXISTING MODIFIERS ARE NORMALIZED ONCE · FUTURE GROWTH IS ADDED ONCE
Identify
Embedded resources
Normalize
Recover native load
Project
Add future increment

No double counting

Separating Embedded Load Modifiers from Future Scenarios

Historical load already reflects the rooftop PV, behind-the-fence generation, and other load modifiers that were operating at the time. To avoid double-counting, the simulator adjusts for known resources first to recover native load, then layers future load modifier scenarios.

Reconciliation

Reconciling Forecasts Up, Down, and Across the Grid

Demand scenarios can roll up from local assets to the system, allocate down from system assumptions to local assets, and compare distribution utility and system operator views. When forecasts diverge, the platform traces the mismatch back to the assumptions that produced it.

Bidirectional forecast reconciliationLocal assets ↔ system
Roll upAllocate downForecast variance
SYSTEMPLANNING REGIONLOAD ZONEPOINT OF DELIVERYSERVICE AREASUBSTATIONTRANSFORMERSFDR-01FDR-04FDR-07 ROLL UP LOCAL FORECASTSALLOCATE SYSTEM ASSUMPTIONS COMPARISON AT PoDCOMMON LOCATION + HORIZONUTILITY VIEWSYSTEM VIEWVARIANCE TRACE TO ASSUMPTIONSWEATHER + CLIMATEGROWTH + CONNECTIONSLOAD + SUPPLY MODIFIERS
Up
Aggregate locally
Down
Allocate assumptions
Across
Explain variance

Building a shared view of the future grid.

Request early access Back to overview