# AI-enhanced multi-timescale optimization strategy for virtual power plants: Advancing losad forecasting and dynamic demand response integration

**Authors:** Guojun Xu, Guangjie Yang, Jie Bao, Huibo Feng, Feifei Zhang, Hua Zheng

PMC · DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0339606 · PLOS One · 2026-01-23

## TL;DR

This paper introduces an AI-based strategy to improve the efficiency and resilience of virtual power plants by integrating load forecasting and demand response.

## Contribution

A novel AI-enhanced multi-timescale optimization strategy that integrates load forecasting, dispatch, and dynamic demand response.

## Key findings

- The attention-augmented BiLSTM model improves spatiotemporal load forecasting accuracy.
- The integrated framework reduces operational costs and enhances VPP resilience.
- Dynamic demand response coupled with real-time control improves system adaptability.

## Abstract

The integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) introduces significant challenges related to uncertainty and intermittency in power grids. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers promising solutions for Virtual Power Plants (VPP) optimization, existing approaches often treat load forecasting, system dispatch, and demand response as loosely coupled components, limiting their ability to holistically manage these deep uncertainties. To address this, we propose a novel AI-enhanced multi-timescale optimization strategy that creates a synergistic, integrated framework. Methodologically, the approach begins with an attention-augmented Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) model that generates high-fidelity spatiotemporal load forecasts, providing crucial spatial-aware inputs often overlooked by traditional models. These enhanced forecasts are then leveraged by a Model Predictive Control (MPC) strategy for more robust and proactive day-ahead and intraday dispatch. Crucially, the framework integrates a dynamic demand response (DDR) mechanism that is directly coupled with real-time MPC outputs, ensuring that load flexibility is mobilized based on immediate system needs rather than static signals alone. Simulations, driven by real-world operational data, confirm that this integrated strategy not only reduces operational costs and improves forecasting accuracy but also establishes a more resilient and adaptive VPP operational paradigm compared to prior AI-based methods.

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** LSTM (MESH:D000088562), DR (MESH:D018746), VPP (MESH:D010939)
- **Chemicals:** PV (-), Carbon (MESH:D002244)
- **Species:** Hepacivirus P (species) [taxon 2202225], Rattus norvegicus (brown rat, species) [taxon 10116]

## Full text

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## Figures

15 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12829880/full.md

## References

30 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12829880/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12829880