A robust hybrid machine learning framework for short-term load forecasting: integrating multi-linear regression, long short-term memory, and feed-forward neural networks for enhanced accuracy and efficiency

Efficient energy management and grid stability strongly rely on accurate Short-Term Load Forecasting (STLF). Existing forecasting models, unfortunately, are often inaccurate and computationally demanding. To overcome these challenges, a novel hybrid model, combining both linear regression and machine learning techniques, is proposed in this study. The hybrid model, MLR-LSTM-FFNN, captures both temporal and non-linear dependencies in load data by integrating multi-linear regression (MLR) with long short-term memory (LSTM) networks and feed-forward neural networks (FFNN). Using datasets from Qatar, with 5 min, 15 min, 30 min, and 1 h time intervals and from Panama City with a 1 h interval, experiments were conducted to thoroughly test the robustness of the model. The results showed that the MLR-LSTM-FFNN hybrid model outperformed the baseline and state-of-the-art hybrid models for each of the datasets, in terms of lower RMSE, MAE, and MAPE values along with a faster training time. This superior performance across different datasets underscores the model's scalability and reliability as an STLF approach, providing a practical solution to energy demand prediction tasks. The improvement in short-term forecasting accuracy provides utilities with a practical tool to optimize demand-side management, reduce operational costs, and enhance grid reliability.