Industrial energy forecasting using dynamic attention neural networks

Abstract

We develop a comprehensive framework for storing, analyzing, forecasting, and visualizing industrial energy systems consisting of multiple devices and sensors. Our framework models complex energy systems as a dynamic knowledge graph, utilizes a novel machine learning (ML) model for energy forecasting, and visualizes continuous predictions through an interactive dashboard. At the core of this framework is A-RNN, a simple yet efficient model that uses dynamic attention mechanisms for automated feature selection. We validate the model using datasets from two manufacturers and one university testbed containing hundreds of sensors. Our results show that A-RNN forecasts energy usage within 5% of observed values. These enhanced predictions are as much as 50% more accurate than those produced by standard RNN models that rely on individual features and devices. Additionally, A-RNN identifies key features that impact forecasting accuracy, providing interpretability for model forecasts. Our analytics platform is computationally and memory efficient, making it suitable for deployment on edge devices and in manufacturing plants.