Weather-forecasting services

Tender description

This tender is complete. The scope of requirements is expected to include, but is not limited to: — provide short term wind and solar power forecasts, every 15 minutes for each wind and solar farm in Ireland and Northern Ireland. — provide multiple long term wind and solar power forecasts per day up to 5 days ahead for each wind and solar farm in Ireland and Northern Ireland, — provide confidence bands for each of the forecasts provided, — provide wind and solar power ramping forecasts, — receive and transmit data in real time using existing EirGrid infrastructure. EirGrid envisages qualifying up to 7 candidates from this pre-qualification process, subject to the quality of responses received. This tender process is complete. EirGrid is looking to establish a multi-party framework consisting of 2 separate companies who are required to provide wind and solar power forecasting services. As transmission system operators, the EirGrid Group are responsible for managing electricity demand and supply balance on the transmission system. There is currently over 4700 MW of wind power generation and 138 MW of solar PV generation installed on the system and, at times, the output from renewables has represented more than 65 % of the instantaneous demand for electricity. The amount of wind and solar power generation connected to our system continues to increase, with at least an additional 1000 MW expected to connect by the end of 2020 and further growth expected in the following years. Wind and solar power forecasting serves as an integral tool to manage this ever increasing portfolio of variable generation which enables efficient and reliable operation of the power system. Wind and solar power forecasting is used for various purposes across multiple forecasting horizons within the organisation. The accuracy of the wind and solar power forecasts are integral to our operational planning, and scheduling and dispatch. To meet this end a component of the payment for provision of wind and solar power forecasting services will be based on the accuracy of the forecasts. The reliability and delivery of an accurate wind power forecast enables us to manage the power system securely, safely and economically.