A cloud computing framework for on-demand forecasting services

Abstract

This paper presents the Forecast-as-a-Service (FaaS) framework, a cloud-based framework that provides on-demand customer-defined forecasting services. Based on the principles of service-oriented architecture (SOA), the FaaS enables the use of different types of data from different sources to generate different kinds of forecasts at different levels of detail for different prices. The FaaS framework has been developed to provide on-demand forecasts of solar or wind power. Forecasts can be long-term forecasts useful for prospecting or planning by potential investors, or short-term forecasts suitable for operational decision making by operators of existing facilities. FaaS provides a more flexible and affordable alternative to the subscription model provided by current forecast service vendors. By improving the flexibility and economics of renewable energy forecasting services with SOA and cloud computing, FaaS achieves the goal of Services Computing. © 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland.