Load Forecasting Terminology: a Growing List

Using the precise terminology is a necessary step towards effective communication. As mentioned in my Foresight article "Energy Forecasting: Past, Present and Future", the forecasting practice has a long history in the utility industry, in fact, over 100 years. While load forecasting plays a vital role in many business applications, the usage of different terms is quite messy. Everyone may have his/her own definition of everything in this area. I'm creating a new label "terminology" to host a series of posts on load forecasting terminology. I would like to cover as many ambiguous terms as possible. Here is a tentative list:

1. Load, demand, energy and power
2. Forecasting and backcasting
3. Forecasting and planning
4. Forecasting, forecast and forecaster 
5. Very short, short, medium and long term load forecasting
6. Model, variable, function and parameter
7. Linear models and linear relationship
8. Training, validation and test
9. Weather normalization and load normalization
10. Prediction interval and confidence interval
11. Probability forecasting and probabilistic forecasting
12. Reliability (for planning) and reliability (for forecasting)
13. Quantile, quartile and percentile
14. Resolution (for hierarchical load forecasting) and resolution (for probabilistic forecasting)
15. Forecasting and data mining
16. Statistical models and econometric models 
17. Load factor, coincidence factor, diversity factor and responsibility factor 
18. Calendar month and billing month
19. Energy efficiency, demand response and demand side management
20. Load forecasting and load research
21. Weather, climate and temperature
22. Standard time, daylight saving time and local time
23. Statistical learning and machine learning

If you can think of other confusing terms, please let me know. I will add the new ones after #12. As I'm moving along, I will also add links to the new posts.