Basic Steps
This section outlines the basic workflow for market analysis:
- Downloading market data
- Initializing folders and databases (Directory Initializer)
- Setting up the
Defaults.csv
Every simulation in iPool Suite follows the same high-level workflow. The sequence — Prepare Input Data → Verify Configuration → Initialize the Environment → Create a Scenario → Execute the Simulation → Review Outputs — applies whether you are running a Historical Load, Backcast, Forecast, or What-If scenario. The prep steps below cover the first three; the tabs then extend into scenario creation, execution, and output review.
Quick Guide
- Step 1: Prepare Inputs
- Step 2: Initialize
- Step 3: Configure File Path
- Step 4: Simulation Overview
- Step 5: Create a Scenario
- Step 6: Execute the Simulation
- Step 7: Review Outputs
Typical inputs include:
- Demand files — historical or forecasted regional demand profiles
- Generation files — historical or forecasted capacity factor data
- Bids — Historical, Typical, Custom, or Dynamic bid files in
.bidxformat - Event files — constraints or scenario variations applied to the simulation
- Market data:
- RTD — Unit Generation and Load Demand, Price (LMP and SMP), and MLF
- RTDOR — Reserve Bid Offers (Dr, Ru, Rd)
- RTDOE — Energy Bid Offers
- RTDHS — Link Flows
- RTDRS — Reserve Schedules
- MP — Marginal Unit
- RTDOPRSVSUMM — Reserve Prices
Downloading Market Data
The market data consists of real-time, week-ahead, and day-ahead data. These are downloaded from the IEMOP website and should be saved in their respective folders under C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES.
Suite includes a downloader for not just RTD files but also Week Ahead Projection (WAP) and Day Ahead Projection (DAP). Simply choose which files you need, then set the start and end date to download market data.
The historical load will not run successfully if the data is incomplete. To prevent this, the -checkinputs command ensures that all required data is complete before running the historical load.
There is a 7-day delay before RTDOE and RTDOR files are uploaded to the IEMOP website. When planning a Historical Load run, ensure your selected date range accounts for this delay.
Market Data Information
- Real-Time Data
- Week-Ahead Projection
- Day-Ahead Projection
| File Name | Description | Directory Location |
|---|---|---|
| RTD | Unit Generation & Load Demand, Price (LMP & SMP) & MLF | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\RTD |
| RTDOR | Reserve Bid Offers (Dr, Ru, Rd, Dr) | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\RTDOR |
| RTDOE | Energy Bid Offers | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\RTDOE |
| RTDHS | Link Flows | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\RTDHS |
| RTDRS | Reserve Schedules | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\RTDRS |
| MP | Marginal Unit | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\MP |
| RTDOPRSVSUMM | Reserve Prices | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\RTDOPRSVSUMM |
| File Name | Description | Directory Location |
|---|---|---|
| WAP | Week-ahead Projection | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\WAP |
| WAPHS | Link Flows | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\WAPHS |
| WAPOPRSVSUMM | Reserve Prices | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\WAPOPRSVSUMM |
| WAPOS | Week-ahead Projection Outage Schedule | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\WAPOS |
| WAPHL | HVDC Limits Imposed | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\WAPHL |
| File Name | Description | Directory Location |
|---|---|---|
| DAP | Day-ahead Projection | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\DAP |
| DAPHS | Link Flows | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\DAPHS |
| DAPOPRSVSUMM | Reserve Prices | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\DAPOPRSVSUMM |
| DAPOS | Day-ahead Projection Outage Schedule | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\DAPOS |
| DAPHL | HVDC Limits Imposed | C:\IENERGY\WESMXXXX\WESM FILES\DAPHL |
Initializing Folders and Databases
iPool Suite keeps your folders and the databases it uses in C:\IENERGY\Defaults.csv. Set them with the Directory Initializer. Re-run it whenever a new working environment has been created or database locations have changed.
- Open the Scenario Studio tab and click Directory Initializer.
- iPool Path is filled in for you: the engine installed with iPool Suite.
- Type or Browse to a Working Folder and click Apply, click Upload Defaults.csv to read an existing file, or use Change next to each folder.
- Click Next: Database Initializer →, choose the System, Time Periods, Bid, Flow and Scenario databases, and click Run.
A Defaults.csv from before iPool Suite has no DirSub line. If you run the Directory Initializer over it as it is, iPool Suite will crash. Add DirSub first. The engine reads only .db database files; convert any .mdb database first. See Migrating to iPool Suite.
Older iPool versions used a DefInit.bat start-up file to choose the databases. iPool Suite does not need it: folders and databases come from Defaults.csv and the Directory Initializer. To use a different database for one scenario, put -ipdb <name>.db on that scenario's command line; for 5-minute dispatch, put -5mnDisp 1 on the -new BASE line.
Setting Up the Defaults.csv
This file sets the correct default folder location for the databases, data, and executables. Ensure that the paths are pointing to the correct location.
Before running any simulation, confirm that:
- Defaults.csv points to the correct directories for all input and output file types
- Required databases exist at the configured paths
- Working folders are accessible and have not been moved since the last configuration check
Read more about this in: Default Settings
Work Flow
Historical load analysis and simulation are among the common uses of iPool. The graph below illustrates the workflow for how these processes are performed.
Historical Load
Simulation Process
Create a Scenario
A scenario is the working container for a simulation run. It defines:
- Study period — the start date and duration of the simulation
- Input datasets — which demand, generation, bid, and event files to use
- Simulation parameters — dispatch type (hourly or 5-minute), calibration settings, and other options
- Output location — where simulation results and reports are saved
Scenarios are created from templates in the Scenario Studio tab. Choose the template that matches your simulation type (Historical, Backcast, Forecast, or What-If) and fill in the required fields.
Execute the Simulation
The simulation engine processes all configured inputs according to the selected simulation type:
- Historical Load — replays past market data against the configured system database
- Backcast — applies calibration to historical conditions and compares simulated against actual outcomes
- Forecast — projects market behavior over a future period using configured inputs
- What-If — runs a base scenario plus one or more modified variations for comparison
Click Run (or Run Sequence for multiple scenarios) in the Scenario Studio tab to begin execution.
Review Outputs
After execution, verify that:
- The simulation completed successfully (no errors in the CLI output panel)
- Reports were generated in the configured Reports directory
- Output files are saved in the expected directories
- Error logs, if any, are reviewed before proceeding to further analysis
For Historical Load runs, check the Historical Database Error Report in the Dashboard (Summary viewer → Historical & Database sub-tab) to identify any database issues (capacity upgrades, missing units, outage events) that may require follow-up action.
Exercise
Give it a try and do this exercise:
Step 1 of 3
Review your available input files