Jul 22, 2021
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Power price scenarios
Completed

Power price scenarios

$75,000+
4-6 months
Italy
2-5
view project
Service categories
Service Lines
Artificial Intelligence
Software Development
Domain focus
Energy & Utilities
Other
Programming language
Python
R

Challenge

A2A, the third largest Italian utility, wanted a tool to enhance its strategic planning and analysis. The system should allow for the creation of scenarios for the evolution of the Italian power market, up to 30 years in the future. The new system was meant to replace several tools adopted by market analysts, allowing for greater resolution and more advanced mathematical modelling. Result visualization is a key part of the platform: the scenarios must be understandable to each stakeholder and support strategic analysis and decisions.

Solution

We stated with a comprehensive analysis of the existing tools and processes, noting where a custom-developed platform could deliver the most value. Then, we implemented a Python backend, where the data processing is handled by a Luigi pipeline. This pattern allows for a flexible and comprehensible structure of the codebase, while maintaining a loose coupling between individual steps of the processing. Inputs and outputs are stored in a SQL database, allowing for a complete reproducibility of each scenario. The pipeline is triggered and controlled by APIs, while the interaction with the user and the visualization of the outcomes is handled by an R Shiny application. Comprehensive unit and integrations tests an proper CIs were configured for both backend and frontend.

Results

The new platform completely replaced the whole set of tools previously adopted to create the scenarios, while allowing for the introduction of optimization programs. Moreover, the time range of the scenarios was increased to 30 years, while the granularity of the outcomes was decreased to one hour. Much to the surprise of the analysis we collaborated with, the new dashboard resulted so effective in presenting the outputs of the scenarios that other departments in the company started asking for clarifications and for further scenarios to be created. Several improvements to the system were published after the first release, mainly to account for the rise of renewable generation.
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Power price scenarios