Affinity-Driven Transfer Learning for Load Forecasting

Abstract

In this study, we introduce an innovative method for load forecasting that capitalizes on the concept of task affinity score to measure the similarity between various tasks. The task affinity score emerges as a superior technique for assessing task similarity within the realm of transfer learning. Through empirical evaluation on a synthetic dataset, we establish the superiority of the task affinity score over traditional metrics in task selection scenarios. To operationalize this method, we unveil the Affinity-Driven Transfer Learning (ADTL) algorithm to enhance load forecasting precision. The ADTL algorithm enriches the transfer learning framework by incorporating insights from both pre-trained models and datasets, thereby augmenting the accuracy of load forecasting for new and unseen datasets. The robustness of the ADTL algorithm is further evidenced through its application to two empirical datasets, namely the dataset provided by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and the Smart Australian dataset. In conclusion, our research underscores the important role of the task affinity score in refining transfer learning methodologies for load forecasting applications.