Short term forecasts of wind and photovoltaics output are important parameters for an optimal operation of combined renewable energy power plants. For this reason, several WindFors partners submitted a proposal for a research project on this topic to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The proposal was approved and the VORKAST project launched on September 1, 2014.

Within the next three years, the VORKAST-Consortium, made up of the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden Württemberg (ZSW – Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg), the Stuttgarter Lehrstuhl für Windenergie (SWE – Stuttgart Wind Energy) and a wind energy project developer, will develop short term forecasts with high temporal resolution (wind and photovoltaics) for the time range of 0 to 60 minutes. These short term forecasts, together with operational prognoses of wind and PV feed-in as well as of load, serve as input parameters for the P2IONEER model developed by the ZSW. P2IONEER optimizes a virtual power plant on the basis of renewable energy and storage technologies. In addition to an improved design and operation of combined renewable energy power plants, P2IONEER makes possible an economical use of energy storage facilities. After developing and testing the new processes, an online test of several months duration with real wind and PV plants will be carried out at a test site where plant operators and regional energy suppliers will be involved as well.