Vantage Forecasts Tab
This page collects the task-oriented workflows for the Vantage Forecast tab: how to set the tab up on first run, how to download the latest files across every category, how to download one category on its own, how to browse and download older files, and how to submit a calibration.
Each workflow below is a numbered procedure. For the tab's general orientation, see the Introduction; for the full reference of every control on the tab, see the Interface and Navigation page.
Prerequisites
Before you start any of the workflows:
- A Suite user account with a valid Vantage Forecast license module.
- Local folders chosen for the asset groups you plan to download (covered by Workflow 1 below).
- Network access to the iEnergy Gateway.
Step-by-step Procedure
- First-run setup
- Download all latest
- Download one category
- Browse history
- Calibration
- Open the Vantage Forecast tab in the iPool Suite top bar. On first use, a Welcome to Vantage card is shown; click Open Settings.
- The Settings modal opens in wizard mode. In Step 1 (Connect), click Connect to Gateway. On success, the status line reads ● Authenticated as
<client>; on failure, the wizard shows an inline error message. Click Next. - In Step 2 (Download Folders), click Use Defaults from Defaults.csv to pre-fill the directory rows from your existing Dashboard working-folder configuration (this uses the
DirDem/DirDemand/DemandDirvalues for demand andDirScenfor the Database (MDB) row). Note: this Use Defaults button exists in the first-run wizard only — normal Settings has the same directory rows but not that button. - Adjust individual rows as needed. Five slots are available: Demand Regional, Demand Zonal, VRE (MHCF), Database (MDB), and Bid Sets (ZIP). You may leave rows blank for categories you do not use. If Regional and Zonal demand share a folder, tick Use same folder for Regional and Zonal demand.
- Next is disabled until at least one folder is filled. Click it when you are ready.
- In Step 3 (Auto-Refresh), tick Check for new files automatically and pick an interval from the select (5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, or Never). The default is 15 minutes.
- Click Finish. The tab switches to the Cards view.
- On the Cards view, look at the freshness badge on each card cell: ✓ means up-to-date, NEW means no local file exists yet, and Update available means the Gateway has a newer file than the one on disk.
- Decide whether to re-download files that are already up to date. The Re-download up-to-date files checkbox in the download bar is OFF by default — files that are already up to date are skipped. When ON, up-to-date files are re-downloaded.
- Click ↓ Download All Latest in the download bar. The button is disabled if setup is incomplete or another download is running.
- Watch the Download Activity bar below the cards. It shows a Downloading… header with a running count and the current filename.
- On completion, the Activity bar switches to a summary row: ✓ N downloaded · N skipped (up to date) · N failed. Click Show Details ▾ to see per-file rows.
- The card freshness badges refresh to ✓ for the categories that completed successfully.
- On the Cards view, locate the card for the category you want (Demand Forecasts, VRE Forecasts (MHCF), or Database (MDB)).
- On a forecast card, click Download Latest. On the Database (MDB) card, the equivalent button is labelled Download and is disabled if there is no server file, no local directory, or a download is running.
- Progress is reported in the same Download Activity bar used by Download All Latest. The per-run summary shows counts scoped to the category you chose.
- On completion, the card's freshness badge refreshes.
Use Browse History… so you can see old forecast files.
- On any forecast card or the Database (MDB) card, click Browse History…. The full pane switches from the Cards view to the Browser view for that category.
- The browser opens with the last 7 days pre-loaded. The breadcrumb reads Vantage ›
<Title>› History. - Adjust the filters:
- Geography (All, Regional, or Zonal) — shown for the demand category only.
- Horizon (All, day-ahead, or week-ahead) — hidden for the Database (MDB) view.
- From and To dates.
- Click Search. Matching files appear in the results table.
- Tick individual rows, or tick the header checkbox to select all visible rows.
- Click Download Selected. The button is disabled at zero selection or while a download is running.
- Click ← Back to Overview to return to the Cards view.
- Open the Settings modal in normal mode by clicking ⚙ Settings in the tab header.
- In the Demand Calibration section, click + Add Rule and fill in the inline form (Zone, Day Type, Hours as
allorN-Mwith0 ≤ N < M ≤ 23, Scale, and an optional Note). Alternatively, click Upload CSV to bulk-load rules from a CSV whose header iszone,day_type,hours,scale,note. - Repeat in the CFAC Calibration section if you also want to submit VRE calibration rules. The CSV header for CFAC is
station,hours,scale,note. - When either rule list is non-empty, a Submit Calibration footer appears. Click Submit Calibration. The status badge cycles through idle → pending → running → done; the tab polls the status every 10 seconds.
- When the status reaches done, the Custom forecast ready badge illuminates in the tab header and each forecast card gains a Standard / Custom segmented toggle. Switch a card to Custom to list the custom forecast files.
Expected Result
- First-run setup — the wizard closes and the tab switches to the Cards view.
- Download all latest files — every card's freshness badge settles on ✓ for the categories that completed; the Download Activity bar shows ✓ N downloaded · N skipped (up to date) · N failed.
- Download one category — the chosen card's freshness badge settles on ✓; the Download Activity summary is scoped to that category.
- Browse history — the selected rows are downloaded into the folder configured for that category and the Download Activity bar reports the outcome.
- Calibration — when the status badge reaches done, the Custom forecast ready badge illuminates in the tab header and the forecast cards expose a Standard / Custom toggle.
There is no batch or command-line equivalent on the Suite side — all Vantage Forecast actions go through this tab.