1. General Information¶
1.1. Overview¶
WEPROG’s graphical User interface ELFI is a visualisation tool for the ensemble forecasting data generated by WEPROG’s Multi Scheme Enesmble Forecasting System MSEPS. It is designed to provide our forecast users a number of useful features to analyise the ensemble data and make use of its additional information in the day to day work.
We have also included features to organise a structured data management in order to enhance the possibilities and encourage development of new and innovative ways of using the output of the forecasting data. Such features include the possibility to mix forecast uncertainty products (percentiles) to a weighted optimal forecast, to add other forecasts or information and mix such information to get a new forecast, create an artificial neural network with uncertainty information and be able to visualise, analyise and verify all these products.
Download of timeseries data of percentiles and other self-generated forecasts is also possible in an interactive mode at the browser level and a non-interactive automatic mode by using the user’s own individual authentication code to keep a high standard of security.
Data management of wind plants and solar plants has also been in our focus in order to provide the possibility of fast and flexible access to new forecasting data. Especially, where new market structures are establishing and electricity from wind and solar generators are sold in the power markets by many different traders with changing pools. With ELFI we have merged processes so that the user can register new loactions and receive forecasts already after a few hours.
ELFI’s Data management features however also include the handling of availability and limitations in the export capacity of generators into the grid. Especially balance responsible parties such as TSO’s and utilities can view and analyise forecasts in restricted and unrestricted mode for their operations planning. Traders can use it to optimise their pool output and reduce their imbalances.
The User Guide will describe in detail the all features of ELFI, provide examples of possible applications and support the user with a large amount of frequently asked questions that we have collected that provide HOWTO’s supported by text and graphics.
1.2. User Management¶
There is a user management set up in ELFI that allows each company to manage a number of users with their own and individual login credentials.
ELFI is in fact built up with a licensing system per company, such that each company has their own license and privileges are given and all sensitive data is secured.
Each user also has the possibility to reset the password and has the possibility to get a password send for login, if the password got lost. It is also recommended that users change their password regularly.
The interface is also configurable for each user and is saved individually for each user. In that way, it is possible to provide the user with the feature of saving the last actions and displaying these at the next login automatically. Additionally, each user has access to her own individual so-called configurator, where specific forecast configurations can be saved and easily accessed. This enables the user to configure a set of important information and access it in fast end efficient way by only 2 clicks.
1.3. Start Menu Categories¶
In short, ELFI is designed for the visualisation and management of power units and weather locations. The interface in fact allows the user to register and configure units and change the availability and maximum export of units in real-time, directly affecting following forecasts - also outside of ELFI.
The concept of a unit is used, because ELFI manages different power generation types such as solar generators and wind power generators.
ELFI allows users via user specific licenses to have direct access to their company’s unit forecasts and compare and verify measurements with forecasts in real-time and historic as well as see animated large-scale weather forecasts of the area that the user is assigned access to.
Forecast graphics always contain percentiles and if available measurements and are providing overview of the uncertainty of a forecast.
For the advanced user the ELFI interface also provides the possibility to make adaptations to forecasts on the basis of physically based uncertainty bands.
All data can be visualised or downloaded with one click. The advanced user can also access data interactively via a specifically generated user access key generated for each user on the basis of user login and company license for highest security level.
The features of the “feature boxes” are described in the sections following the figure.
1.3.1. Menu Bar¶
The top menu that appears when the user is logged in, shows the user’s name, the choice of language, a Help button, where the user can find our online user guide and the logout button,
1.3.1.2. Help Button¶
- Online User Guide with download possibility as pdf-document The user guide can also be opened in a separate tab, if the user right mouse button to open the link in a new tab. The user guide is self explanatory and can also be downloaded as a pdf document through a link at the top menu bar to the left.
1.3.2. Start Page¶
After login to ELFI, the user will see the start menu with 5 boxes in different colors. Each box represents a specific functionality of ELFI and is described in the user guide as different categories.
The 5 categories are: - Forecast View - Compose Forecast - Location Management - Forecast Tools - Extreme Events
The figure below shows the interface menu.
By moving the mouse over the boxes you can see that they get highlighted and when clicking onto the box, the user is moved to the chosen feature. We will not provide a very brief description of the 5 categories and provide links to the respective detailed description in this user guide.
1.3.2.1. Forecast View¶
The forecast view provides a user defined and user configurable graphical interface to the forecast data that are produced for the user/company. The design of the “Forecast View” has taken account for that each user has different ways and requirements of looking at forecast data and requirements of analysing forecast data. By providing a feature to compose one’s own view, the user can generate the greatest value from the forecast by himself.
There is no limit on how many different views are composed and saved and a list of the saved views is always visible besides the graphics. In that way, the user can fast and efficient change between different views and get the best possible overview. Details on the forecast view can be found in composer.
Note
Click on the WEPROG logo to get back from the Forecast View to the Main Menu.
1.3.2.2. Forecast Composer¶
The “Forecast Composer” provides the user with the tool to compose and configure individual ways of looking at the forecast data. The composing of a view takes only a few clicks and the result can be saved once, the user is satisfied with the result. In each configuration, the user can chose a location, parameter, timezone, length of the forecast and a number of plot configurations. Each resulting view can be saved and in that way chosen with only 1 mouse click, whenever the user comes back to the interface. Details on how to compose a view cab be found in composer.
1.3.2.3. Location Management¶
The “Location Management” provides the possibility to register new units or locations and to add and edit information of already registered units or location, The box contains links to 4 main features:
The list above is configured as links to the detailed description of the list items. Just click on the respective list item to get to the information.
1.3.2.4. Forecast Tools¶
The forecast tools are designed for the advanced user that wants to do deeper analysis and use advanced configuration tools to work actively with the forecasts and generate and test own optimisations out from the users own experience. The advanced tools shall provide the possibility to test other ways of mixing of forecasts and verify these tests. For that reason, the user gets the possibility to also upload measurement data or other relevant time series that can be used for verification, mixing or additional information to compose a user defined forecast.
Each user has 4 time series curves that can be configured and designed with the forecast tools or by uploading data. These curves can then be made visible in the graphics view and compared to the operational forecasts. The legend provides the possibility to switch such lines on and off.
The tools box consists of an advanced forecast view and 3 data manipulation tools:
- Advanced Menu
- ANN (Artificial Neural Network)
- Curve calculation
- Data verification
The list above are configured as links to the detailed description on how to use and apply these tools. Just click on the respective list item to get to the information.
1.3.2.5. Extreme Events¶
The “Extreme Events” box contains a feature to get warnings about “extreme events”. The feature required configuration to the individual user or company’s requirements and is shown in a table form, where the uncertainty or the probability of a certain event to occur will be shown.
This functionality requires individual configuration and will only be available for selected locations. The figure below shos the general interface. It is designed to be self explanatory.
1.4. Summary of Features for the advanced User¶
The following is a summary of the features for the advanced user of ELFI, which can be accessed through the “Forecast Tools” box at the start menu. Here the user gets access to a number of tools for forecast data manipulation and optimisation.
1.4.1. ELFI’s advanced features in short¶
1.4.1.2. ANN: Artificial Neural Network¶
- Artificial Neural Network Training Machine
- Real-time Setup of a trained ANN
- Activation of the ANN forecast in the Production View
1.4.1.3. Curve Calculation¶
- generation of a curve for individual forecast data by applying mixing and weight functions to individual forecasts
1.4.1.4. Data Verification¶
- statistical verification of the forecast data from WEPROG
- statistical verification of the user generated forecast data
- statistical verification of uploaded forecast data
1.5. Security level of the Interface¶
The ELFI Interface is run at https://elfi.weprog.com using secure HTTP with it’s own SSL certificate, which can be validated and verified here by entering “elfi.weprog.com”: http://www.networking4all.com/en/support/tools/site+check/
ELFI also has a sophisticated user management and licensing system built in (see section User Management) with company licenses and priviledges setup for each user. This ensures that company sensitive data is only visible and accessible by licensed users to each company.
Note
The personal data of companies that is collected is restricted to their public address and public telephone numbers. The only personal data that is collected and stored in the database that is non-public is the Email address, which is required for the password management system. This personal data is treated as confidential information while stored in our database. Only staff on administrator level has access to the content of the database and data is not shared with other companies.
Each company receives a company license and can register various users, which then adminstrate their own login credentials. The login with personal settings gives full security and can be changed by the user.