Business Innovation and Growth Support – Additional Documentation 2020/2021

The following list presents the types of support associated with the value of support to ultimate beneficiaries for the reference year 2020/2021.

Type of support

  • Advisory service
  • Conditionally Repayable Contribution
  • Grant
  • Loan Guarantees
  • N/A
  • Non-Repayable Contribution
  • Other Financial Support
  • Service Fully Cost-Recovered
  • Service Fully Subsidized
  • Service Partially Cost-Recovered
  • Targeted Procurement
  • Unconditionally Repayable Contribution

The following list identifies the program streams that provide innovation and growth support for the reference year 2020/2021.

Program streams that provide innovation and growth support for the reference year 2020/2021.
Department/agency Program Stream Name
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada AgriInnovate Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada AgriInnovation Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada AgriMarketing Program: Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Component
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada AgriProcessing Initiative
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada AgriScience Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agricultural Clean Technology Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agricultural Innovation Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Canadian Agriculture Strategic Priorities Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Living Laboratories Initiative
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Atlantic Innovation Fund
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Business Development Program
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Canada Coal Transition Initiative
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Canadian Experiences Fund
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Community Futures Program
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Business Scale-up and Productivity
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Steel and Aluminum Initiative
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Women Entrepreneurship Fund
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Women Entrepreneurship Strategy - Ecosystem Fund
Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Canadian Experiences Fund
Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Community Futures Program
Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Business Scale-up and Productivity
Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Women Entrepreneurship Fund
Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Women Entrepreneurship Strategy - Ecosystem Fund
Canadian Institutes of Health Research Industry Partnered Collaborative Research (IPCR)
Canadian Space Agency Space Technology Development Program
Canadian Space Agency smartEarth
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Canadian Experiences Fund
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement in the North
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Northern Aboriginal Economic Opportunities Program
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Business Scale-up and Productivity
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Women Entrepreneurship Strategy - Ecosystem Fund
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Atlantic Fisheries Fund
Fisheries and Oceans Canada British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Fisheries and Aquaculture Clean Technology Adoption Program
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Quebec Fisheries Fund
Department of National Defence Innovation for Defence, Excellence and Security
Environment and Climate Change Canada Low Carbon Economy Challenge
Environment and Climate Change Canada Science Horizons Youth Internship Program
Employment and Social Development Canada Temporary Foreign Worker Program - Global Talent Stream
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Advanced Manufacturing Fund
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Canadian Experiences Fund
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Community Economic Development and Diversification
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Community Futures Program
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Investing in Business Growth and Productivity
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Investing in Business Innovation
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Business Scale-up and Productivity
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Women Entrepreneurship Fund
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Women Entrepreneurship Strategy - Ecosystem Fund
Global Affairs Canada CanExport Innovation
Global Affairs Canada CanExport SME
Global Affairs Canada Canadian International Innovation Program
Global Affairs Canada Canadian Technology Accelerators
Global Affairs Canada Trade Commissioner Service
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Accelerated Growth Service
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Automotive Innovation Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Automotive Supplier Innovation Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada CANARIE Inc.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Canada Small Business Financing Program
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Centre for Drug Research and Development
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Clean Growth Hub
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Communications Research Centre Canada
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada FedNor Canadian Experiences Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada FedNor Community Futures Program
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada FedNor Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Business Scale-up and Productivity
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada FedNor Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada FedNor Women Entrepreneurship Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada FedNor Women Entrepreneurship Strategy - Ecosystem Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Futurpreneur
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Genome Canada
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Innovation Superclusters Initiative
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Innovative Solutions Canada
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Mitacs Inc.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Northern Ontario Development Program
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Steel and Aluminium Initiative
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Stem Cell Network
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI)
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Strategic Innovation Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Technology Demonstration Program
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Technology Partnerships Canada
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in Support of Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in Support of Energy Innovation Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in Support of the Smart Grids Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of Clean Growth in the Natural Resource Sectors Innovation Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of GeoConnections Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of Investments in Forest Industry Transformation Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of ecoENERGY for Renewable Power
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of the Emerging Renewable Power Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of the Forest Innovation Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of the Forest Research Institute Initiative
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of the Green construction through Wood program
Natural Resources Canada Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstration Program
Natural Resources Canada Energy Efficient Buildings
Natural Resources Canada Grants and Contributions in support of Clean Technology Challenges
Natural Resources Canada Mining Innovation
Natural Resources Canada Oil and Gas Clean Tech Program
Natural Resources Canada Science and Technology Internship Program - Green Jobs
National Research Council of Canada Advanced Electronics and Photonics
National Research Council of Canada Aerospace
National Research Council of Canada Aquatic and Crop Resource Development
National Research Council of Canada Automotive and Surface Transportation
National Research Council of Canada Challenge-Superclusters
National Research Council of Canada Construction
National Research Council of Canada Digital Technologies
National Research Council of Canada Energy, Mining and Environment
National Research Council of Canada Human Health Therapeutics
National Research Council of Canada Ideation Fund
National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program
National Research Council of Canada Medical Devices
National Research Council of Canada Ocean, Coastal, and River Engineering
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Applied Research and Development Grants
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council College-University Idea to Innovation Grants
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Connect Grants
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Industrial Research Chairs
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Innovation Enhancement Grants
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Strategic Partnership Grants for Networks
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Strategic Partnership Grants for Projects
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Technology Access Centres Grants
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council University Idea to Innovation Grants
Department of Canadian Heritage Canada Book Fund
Department of Canadian Heritage Canada Media Fund - Experimental Stream
Department of Canadian Heritage Canada Music Fund - Individual and Collective Initiatives
Department of Canadian Heritage Canada Periodical Fund
Western Economic Diversification Canada Canadian Coal Transition Initiative
Western Economic Diversification Canada Canadian Experiences Fund
Western Economic Diversification Canada Community Futures Program
Western Economic Diversification Canada Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Business Scale-up and Productivity
Western Economic Diversification Canada Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Western Economic Diversification Canada Western Diversification Program
Western Economic Diversification Canada Western Innovation Initiative
Western Economic Diversification Canada Women Entrepreneurship Fund
Western Economic Diversification Canada Women Entrepreneurship Strategy - Ecosystem Fund
Western Economic Diversification Canada Women's Enterprise Initiative

The following list identifies the program streams that provide innovation and growth support to ultimate beneficiaries for the reference year 2020/2021.

program streams that provide innovation and growth support to ultimate beneficiaries for the reference year 2020/2021.
Department/agency Program Stream Name
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada AgriInnovate Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada AgriMarketing Program: Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Component
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada AgriScience Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agricultural Clean Technology Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Canadian Agriculture Strategic Priorities Program
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Living Laboratories Initiative
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Atlantic Innovation Fund
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Business Development Program
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Canada Coal Transition Initiative
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Canadian Experiences Fund
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Business Scale-up and Productivity
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Steel and Aluminum Initiative
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Women Entrepreneurship Fund
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Women Entrepreneurship Strategy - Ecosystem Fund
Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Canadian Experiences Fund
Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Business Scale-up and Productivity
Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Women Entrepreneurship Fund
Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Women Entrepreneurship Strategy - Ecosystem Fund
Canadian Institutes of Health Research Industry Partnered Collaborative Research (IPCR)
Canadian Space Agency Space Technology Development Program
Canadian Space Agency smartEarth
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Canadian Experiences Fund
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement in the North
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Northern Aboriginal Economic Opportunities Program
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Business Scale-up and Productivity
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Atlantic Fisheries Fund
Fisheries and Oceans Canada British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Fisheries and Aquaculture Clean Technology Adoption Program
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Quebec Fisheries Fund
Department of National Defence Innovation for Defence, Excellence and Security
Environment and Climate Change Canada Low Carbon Economy Challenge
Environment and Climate Change Canada Science Horizons Youth Internship Program
Employment and Social Development Canada Temporary Foreign Worker Program - Global Talent Stream
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Canadian Experiences Fund
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Community Economic Development and Diversification
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Business Scale-up and Productivity
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Women Entrepreneurship Fund
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Women Entrepreneurship Strategy - Ecosystem Fund
Global Affairs Canada CanExport Innovation
Global Affairs Canada CanExport SME
Global Affairs Canada Canadian International Innovation Program
Global Affairs Canada Canadian Technology Accelerators
Global Affairs Canada Trade Commissioner Service
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Accelerated Growth Service
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Automotive Innovation Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Automotive Supplier Innovation Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Canada Small Business Financing Program
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Centre for Drug Research and Development
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Clean Growth Hub
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Communications Research Centre Canada
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada FedNor Canadian Experiences Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada FedNor Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Business Scale-up and Productivity
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada FedNor Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada FedNor Women Entrepreneurship Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada FedNor Women Entrepreneurship Strategy - Ecosystem Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Genome Canada
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Innovative Solutions Canada
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Mitacs Inc.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Northern Ontario Development Program
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Steel and Aluminium Initiative
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Stem Cell Network
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI)
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Strategic Innovation Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Technology Demonstration Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in Support of Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in Support of Energy Innovation Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in Support of the Smart Grids Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of Clean Growth in the Natural Resource Sectors Innovation Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of GeoConnections Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of Investments in Forest Industry Transformation Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of ecoENERGY for Renewable Power
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of the Emerging Renewable Power Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of the Forest Innovation Program
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of the Forest Research Institute Initiative
Natural Resources Canada Contributions in support of the Green construction through Wood program
Natural Resources Canada Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstration Program
Natural Resources Canada Energy Efficient Buildings
Natural Resources Canada Grants and Contributions in support of Clean Technology Challenges
Natural Resources Canada Mining Innovation
Natural Resources Canada Oil and Gas Clean Tech Program
Natural Resources Canada Science and Technology Internship Program - Green Jobs
National Research Council of Canada Advanced Electronics and Photonics
National Research Council of Canada Aerospace
National Research Council of Canada Aquatic and Crop Resource Development
National Research Council of Canada Automotive and Surface Transportation
National Research Council of Canada Challenge-Superclusters
National Research Council of Canada Construction
National Research Council of Canada Digital Technologies
National Research Council of Canada Energy, Mining and Environment
National Research Council of Canada Human Health Therapeutics
National Research Council of Canada Ideation Fund
National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program
National Research Council of Canada Medical Devices
National Research Council of Canada Ocean, Coastal, and River Engineering
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Applied Research and Development Grants
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council College-University Idea to Innovation Grants
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Connect Grants
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Industrial Research Chairs
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Innovation Enhancement Grants
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Strategic Partnership Grants for Networks
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Strategic Partnership Grants for Projects
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Technology Access Centres Grants
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council University Idea to Innovation Grants
Department of Canadian Heritage Canada Book Fund
Department of Canadian Heritage Canada Media Fund - Experimental Stream
Department of Canadian Heritage Canada Periodical Fund
Western Economic Diversification Canada Canadian Coal Transition Initiative
Western Economic Diversification Canada Canadian Experiences Fund
Western Economic Diversification Canada Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Business Scale-up and Productivity
Western Economic Diversification Canada Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation - Regional Innovation Ecosystems
Western Economic Diversification Canada Western Diversification Program
Western Economic Diversification Canada Western Innovation Initiative
Western Economic Diversification Canada Women Entrepreneurship Fund

Why are we conducting this survey?

This survey is conducted by Statistics Canada in order to collect the necessary information to support the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP). This program combines various survey and administrative data to develop comprehensive measures of the Canadian economy.

The statistical information from the IBSP serves many purposes, including

  • Obtaining information on the supply of and/or demand for energy in Canada
  • Enabling governmental agencies to fulfill their regulatory responsibilities in regards to public utilities
  • Enabling all levels of government to establish informed policies in the energy area
  • Assisting the business community in the corporate decision-making process.

Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Your participation in this survey is required under the authority of the Statistics Act.

Other important information

Authorization to collect this information

Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.

Confidentiality

By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent, or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes only.

Record linkages

To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the reporting burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.

Section 11 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with provincial and territorial statistical agencies that meet certain conditions. These agencies must have the legislative authority to collect the same information, on a mandatory basis, and the legislation must provide substantially the same provisions for confidentiality and penalties for disclosure of confidential information as the Statistics Act. Because these agencies have the legal authority to compel businesses to provide the same information, consent is not requested and businesses may not object to the sharing of the data.

For this survey, there are Section 11 agreements with the provincial and territorial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with any of these organizations by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician, specifying the organizations with which you do not want Statistics Canada to share your data and mailing it to the following address:

Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Enterprise Statistics Division
150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0T6

You may also contact us by email at statcan.esd-helpdesk-dse-bureaudedepannage.statcan@canada.ca or by fax at 613-951-6583.

For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories and Nunavut as well as with the ministère des Finances du Québec, the ministère de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques du Québec, the ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources naturelles du Québec, Alberta Energy, the British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, the Canada Energy Regulator, Natural Resources Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

For agreements with provincial and territorial government organizations, the shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

1. Verify or provide the business or organization's legal and operating name, and correct where needed.

Note: Legal name should only be modified to correct a spelling error or typo.

Note: Press the help button (?) for additional information.

Legal Name

The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.

Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.

To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.

Operating Name

The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.

  • Legal name
  • Operating name (if applicable)

2. Verify or provide the contact information for the designated contact person for the business or organization and correct information if needed.

Note: The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire.

  • First name
  • Last name
  • Title
  • Preferred language of communication
    • English
    • French
  • Mailing address (number and street)
  • City
  • Province, territory or state
  • Postal code or ZIP code
  • Country
    • Canada
    • United States
  • Email address
  • Telephone number (including area code)
  • Extension number (if applicable)
    The maximum number of characters is 10.
  • Fax number (including area code)

3. Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.

  • Operational
  • Not currently operational (e.g., temporarily or permanently closed, change of ownership)
    Why is this business or organization not currently operational?
    • Seasonal operations
      • When did this business or organization close for the season?
        • Date
      • When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
        • Date
    • Ceased operations
      • When did this business or organization cease operations?
        • Date
      • Why did this business or organization cease operations?
        • Bankruptcy
        • Liquidation
        • Dissolution
        • Other
      • Specify the other reasons why the operations ceased
    • Sold operations
      • When was this business or organization sold?
        • Date
      • What is the legal name of the buyer?
    • Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
      • When did this business or organization amalgamate?
        • Date
      • What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
      • What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
    • Temporarily inactive but expected to re-open
      • When did this business or organization become temporarily inactive?
        • Date
      • When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
        • Date
      • Why is this business or organization temporarily inactive?
    • No longer operating due to other reasons
      • When did this business or organization cease operations?
        • Date
      • Why did this business or organization cease operations?

4. Verify or provide the current main activity of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.

Note: The described activity was assigned using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

Note: Press the help button (?) for additional information, including a detailed description of this activity with example activities and any applicable exclusions.

This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS, are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.

The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.

The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the 'Answering this questionnaire' section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.

The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classes; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.

Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.

The following is the detailed description including any applicable examples or exclusions for the classification currently associated with this business or organization.

Description and examples

  • This is the current main activity
  • This is not the current main activity
    • Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's main activity
    • e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development

Main activity

5. You indicated that is not the current main activity.

Was this business or organization's main activity ever classified as: ?

  • Yes
    • When did the main activity change?
    • Date
  • No

6. Search and select the industry activity classification that best corresponds to this business or organization's main activity.

How to search:

  • If desired, you can filter the search results by first selecting the business or organization's activity sector
  • Enter keywords or a brief description that best describe the business or organization's main activity
  • Press the Search button to search the database for an industry activity classification that best matches the keywords or description you provided
  • Select an industry activity classification from the list.

Select this business or organization's activity sector (optional):

  • Farming or logging operation
  • Construction company or general contractor
  • Manufacturer
  • Wholesaler
  • Retailer
  • Provider of passenger or freight transportation
  • Provider of investment, savings or insurance products
  • Real estate agency, real estate brokerage or leasing company
  • Provider of professional, scientific or technical services
  • Provider of health care or social services
  • Restaurant, bar, hotel, motel or other lodging establishment
  • Other sector

Method of collection

1. Indicate whether you will be answering the remaining questions or attaching files with the required information.

  • Answering the remaining questions
  • Attaching files

Attach files

2. Our records indicate that this business fulfills its reporting obligations using file attachment(s). Please attach the required file(s) containing your electricity supply and disposition information for [Month] 2023. You may also attach other files you feel are necessary.

Please report in megawatt-hours (MWh) and thousands of dollars for all electricity generation, imports, receipts, exports and deliveries by type of consumers ( i.e., 'end use' or enrolled with a third party retailer).

To attach files

  • Press the Attach files button.
  • Choose the file to attach. Multiple files can be attached.

Note

  • Each file must not exceed 5 MB .
  • All attachments combined must not exceed 50 MB .
  • The name and size of each file attached will be displayed on the page.

Sub-type for all electricity generation

1. In [Month] 2023, did this business generate electricity?

Electricity may be generated for internal use and/or for sale.

  • Yes
  • No

2. In [Month] 2023, what methods were employed by this business to generate electricity?

Exclude purchased electricity.

Select all that apply.

Nuclear: Electricity generated at an electric power plant whose turbines are driven by steam generated in a reactor by heat from the fission of nuclear fuel.

Hydro: Electric power generated from a plant in which the turbine generators are driven by flowing water.

Tidal: Electric power generated from a plant in which turbine generators are driven from tidal movements.

Wind: A power plant in which the prime mover is a wind turbine. Electric power is generated by the conversion of wind power into mechanical energy.

Solar: Electricity created using Photovoltaic (PV) technology which converts sunlight into electricity OR electricity created using solar thermal technology where sunlight heats a liquid or gas to drive a turbine or engine.

Wave: Electricity generated from mechanical energy derived from wave motion.

Geothermal: Electricity generated from heat emitted from within the earth's crust, usually in the form of hot water or steam.

Other non-combustible sources: This includes fuels such as waste heat, steam, and steam purchased from another company. Specify in the space provided.

  • Thermal Generation - combustible fuels.
    • Include coal, natural gas, petroleum, wood, spent pulping liquor, methane, municipal and other waste, other combustible fuels.
  • Nuclear
  • Hydro
  • Tidal
  • Wind
  • Solar
  • Wave
  • Geothermal
  • Other
    • Specify other non-combustible methods

Electricity generation by all selected methods and fuel types

3. In [Month] 2023, which types of combustible fuel were used by this business to generate electricity?

Select all that apply.

Coal: A readily combustible, black or brownish-black rock-like substance, whose composition, including inherent moisture, consists of more than 50% by weight and 70% by volume of carbonaceous material. It is formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened, chemically altered and metamorphosed by heat and pressure over geologic time without access to air.

Natural gas: A mixture of hydrocarbons (principally methane) and small quantities of various hydrocarbons existing in the gaseous phase or in solution with crude oil in underground reservoirs.

Petroleum: This covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude oil and petroleum products that are made up of refined crude oil and used as a fuel source ( i.e., crude oil, synthetic crude oil, natural gas liquids, naphtha, kerosene, jet fuel, gasoline, diesel, and fuel oil; excludes Petroleum coke, bitumen and other oil products not specified).

For 'Other' non-renewable combustible fuels: This includes fuels such as propane, orimulsion, petroleum coke, coke oven gas, ethanol and any other type of non-renewable combustible fuels not otherwise identified on the questionnaire. Specify in the spaces provided.

Wood and wood waste: Wood and wood energy used as fuel, including round wood (cord wood), lignin, wood scraps from furniture and window frame manufacturing, wood chips, bark, sawdust, shavings, lumber rejects, forest residues, charcoal and pulp waste from the operation of pulp mills, sawmills and plywood mills.

Spent pulping liquor (Black liquor): A recycled by-product formed during the pulping of wood in the paper-making process. It is primarily made up of lignin and other wood constituents, and chemicals that are by-products of the manufacture of chemical pulp. It is burned as fuel or in a recovery boiler which produces steam which can be used to produce electricity.

Methane: A biogas composed principally of methane and carbon dioxide (e.g., landfill gas, anaerobic digestion and sewage gas).

Municipal and other waste: Wastes (liquids or solids) produced by households, industry, hospitals and others (e.g., paper, cardboard, rubber, leather, natural textiles, wood, brush, grass clippings, kitchen wastes and sewage sludge).

Other type of Biomass: Any other type of biomass not otherwise identified on the questionnaire. This includes fuels such as food waste/food processing residues, used diapers, and other biogases excluding methane. Specify in the space provided.

Non-renewable combustible fuels

  • Coal
  • Natural gas
  • Petroleum
  • Other - Specify the other non-renewable combustible types

Biomass

  • Wood
  • Spent pulping liquor
  • Methane
  • Municipal and other waste
  • Other - Specify the other types of biomass'

4. In [Month] 2023, what was the gross quantity in megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity generated by this business from the following?

Gross electricity generation is the total amount of electricity generated by the power plant during the reporting period. Gross electricity generation = Net electricity generation + Own use consumption from self-generated electricity.

Exclude purchased electricity

In [Month] 2023, what was the quantity in megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity generated by this business from the following?
  Quantity in MWh
Non-renewable combustible fuels  
a. Coal  
b. Natural gas  
c. Petroleum. Please report the generation from the use of diesel under Petroleum.  
d. Other – Specify the other non-renewable combustible types  
Total megawatt-hours generated from non-renewable combustible fuels  
Biomass  
e. Wood  
f. Spent pulping liquor  
g. Methane   
h. Municipal and other waste  
i. Other – Specify the other types of biomass  
Total megawatt-hours generated from biomass  
Total electricity production from combustible fuels  
j. Nuclear  
k. Hydro  
l. Tidal  
m. Wind  
n. Solar  
o. Wave  
p. Geothermal  
q. Other - Specify the other types of electricity produced from combustible fuels  
Total production of electricity  

Import of electricity from the United States

5. In [Month] 2023, did this business import electricity from the United States?

  • Yes
  • No

6. In [Month] 2023, what was the quantity in megawatt-hours (MWh) and the value of imported electricity from the United States?

If applicable, please report the total quantity of electricity ( MWh ) and Canadian dollar value (thousands of dollars) this business imported/purchased from the United States.

Exclude sales tax

  • Quantity in MWh
  • CAN$ '000

Withdrawals or purchases of electricity from other Canadian producers and distributors

7. In [Month] 2023, did this business receive or purchase electricity from other sources in Canada?

Include

  • electricity received from other producers or distributors including affiliated direct purchase and wholesale consumers
  • withdrawals from the grid for own consumption or for resale.
  • Yes
  • No

Withdrawals or purchases of electricity from other Canadian producers and distributors

8. In [Month] 2023, from which province or territory was electricity received, purchased or withdrawn by this business?

Select all that apply.

  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Nova Scotia
  • New Brunswick
  • Quebec
  • Ontario
  • Manitoba
  • Saskatchewan
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • Yukon
  • Northwest Territories
  • Nunavut

9. In [Month] 2023, what was the quantity in megawatt-hours (MWh) and the value of electricity received or purchased by this business?

Include:

  • electricity received from other producers or distributors, including affiliated direct purchase and wholesale consumers
  • withdrawals from the grid for own use consumption or for resale

Exclude sales tax

If applicable, please report the total quantity of electricity ( MWh ) (thousands of dollars) purchased or received from within and/or other provinces ( e.g., other utilities/producers, transmitters, distributors).

In [Month] 2023, what was the quantity in megawatt-hours (MWh) and the value of electricity received by this business?
  Quantity in MWh CAN$ '000
a. Newfoundland and Labrador    
b. Prince Edward Island    
c. Nova Scotia    
d. New Brunswick    
e. Quebec    
f. Ontario    
g. Manitoba    
h. Saskatchewan    
i. Alberta    
j. British Columbia    
k. Yukon    
l. Northwest Territories    
m. Nunavut    
Total quantity and value of electricity purchased or withdrawn from other domestic companies    

Own use consumption from self-generated electricity

10. In [Month] 2023, did this business consume self-generated electricity for its own use?

Own use consumption (also known as Producer consumption or Station service) refers to consumption of self-generated electricity (excludes imported or purchased electricity) for the direct support of the plant or business itself during the reporting period.

Own use consumption = Gross electricity - Net electricity generation (Gross electricity generation is the total amount of electricity generated by the power plant during the reporting period. Net electricity generation is the amount of electricity generated by the power plant that is delivered to the electricity grid during the reporting period).

  • Yes
  • No

11. In [Month] 2023, what was the quantity in megawatt-hours (MWh) of self-generated electricity consumed by this business for its own use?

Own use consumption (also known as Producer consumption or Station service) refers to consumption of self-generated electricity (excludes imported or purchased electricity) for the direct support of the plant or business itself during the reporting period.

Own use consumption = Gross electricity - Net electricity generation (Gross electricity generation is the amount of electricity generated by the power plant during the reporting period. Gross electricity generation is the total amount of electricity generated by the power plant during the reporting period.

Net electricity generation is the amount of electricity generated by the power plant that is delivered to the electricity grid during the reporting period).

Quantity in MWh

Own consumption from imported, received or purchased electricity

12. For [Month] 2023, you have indicated that this business imported, received or purchased electricity. Was any of this electricity imported, received or purchased for the business's own consumption? 

Own consumption from purchased electricity refers to withdrawals from the grid which is electricity that is billed by another company for the direct support of the plant or business itself during the reporting period.

Include withdrawals from the grid which is electricity that is billed by another company.

  • Yes
  • No

13. For [Month] 2023, you have indicated that this business imported, received or purchased electricity. How much electricity in MWh was imported, received or purchased for the business's own consumption?

Include withdrawals from the grid which is electricity that is billed by another company.

Export of electricity to the United States

14. In [Month] 2023, did this business export electricity to the United States?

  • Yes
  • No

15. In [Month] 2023, what was the quantity in megawatt-hours (MWh) and value of exported electricity to the United States?

If applicable, please report the total quantity of electricity (MWh) and Canadian dollar value (thousands of dollars) this business exported/sold to the United States

  • Quantity in MWh
  • CAN$ '000

Exclude sales tax.

Delivery of electricity to other domestic utilities or distributors in Canada

16. In [Month] 2023, did this business deliver electricity to other companies in Canada such as utilities, system operators (the grid), producers, transmitters and/or distributors for the purpose of resale?

  • Yes
  • No

17. In [Month] 2023, which province or territory was electricity delivered to?

Select all that apply.

  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Nova Scotia
  • New Brunswick
  • Quebec
  • Ontario
  • Manitoba
  • Saskatchewan
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • Yukon
  • Northwest Territories
  • Nunavut

18. In [Month] 2023, what was the quantity in megawatt-hours (MWh) and the value of electricity delivered to other companies in Canada such as utilities, system operators (the grid), producers, transmitters and/or distributors for the purpose of resale?

If applicable, please report the total quantity of electricity ( MWh ) and total dollar value (thousands of dollars) your company sold to other domestic companies, by province or territory.

Exclude sales tax.

In [Month] 2023, what was the quantity in megawatt-hours (MWh) and the value of electricity delivered to other companies in Canada such as utilities, system operators (the grid), producers, transmitters and/or distributors for the purpose of resale?
  Quantity in MWh CAN$ '000
a. Newfoundland and Labrador    
b. Prince Edward Island    
c. Nova Scotia    
d. New Brunswick    
e. Quebec    
f. Ontario    
g. Manitoba    
h. Saskatchewan    
i. Alberta    
j. British Columbia    
k. Yukon    
l. Northwest Territories    
m. Nunavut    
Total quantity and value of delivered electricity to other domestic businesses    

Disposition of electricity by type of consumer

19. In [Month] 2023, did this business deliver electricity to consumers enrolled with retailers such as Direct Energy?

A retailer does not own any distribution lines, it operates as a middleman and relies on utility companies to deliver to their clients the electricity it has purchased on the markets.

Retailers only operate in Alberta and Ontario where the electricity markets have been deregulated, and where, by law, the generation, transmission and distribution activities must be performed by different companies.

  • Yes
  • No

Delivery of electricity for consumers enrolled with retailers

20. In [Month] 2023, what was the quantity in megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity delivered to the following types of consumers enrolled with retailers?

Exclude electricity delivered to other utilities or distributors.

In [Month] 2023, what was the quantity in megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity delivered to the following types of consumers enrolled with retailers?
  Quantity in MWh
a. To industrial customers. Include mining and manufacturing.  
b. To residential customers. Include residential and agricultural.  
c. To commercial and other institutional customers. Include deliveries to urban transit systems, pipeline transportation and natural gas distribution, public administration, street lighting and commercial and other institutional.  

Delivery of electricity to ultimate consumer

21. In [Month] 2023, did this business deliver electricity to 'end use' consumers?

'End Use' refers to the direct consumption of energy by consumers. In the case of 'residential end-use customers', for example, end use refers to electricity consumed by the residential sector or customers.

  • Yes
  • No


22. In [Month] 2023, what was the quantity in megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity delivered to the following types of 'end use' consumers?

  Quantity in MWh
a. To industrial end-user customers. Include mining and manufacturing.  
b. To residential end-user customers. Include residential and agricultural.  
c. To commercial and other institutional end-user customers. Include deliveries to urban transit systems, pipeline transportation and natural gas distribution, public administration, street lighting and commercial and other institutional.  


23. In [Month] 2023, what was the value of electricity delivered to the following types of 'end use' consumers?
Exclude sales tax.

  CAN$ '000
a. To industrial end-user customers. Include mining and manufacturing.  
b. To residential end-user customers. Include residential and agricultural.  
c. To commercial and other institutional end-user customers. Include deliveries to urban transit systems, pipeline transportation and natural gas distribution, public administration, street lighting and commercial and other institutional.  

Balancing electricity supply and disposition

The total supply of electricity must be equal to the sum of the total disposition of electricity and the total unallocated and/or losses. Unallocated and/or losses was automatically calculated as the difference between your reported total supply of electricity and total disposition of electricity. If the calculated unallocated and/or losses is not correct, use the Previous button to adjust either the supply or disposition of electricity. If it is correct, select the Next button.

24. This is a summary of your balancing electricity supply and disposition.

Please review the values and, if needed, press the Previous button at the bottom of the page to navigate to the previous pages to make any modifications.

Unallocated and/or losses

Include:

  • transmission losses
  • adjustments
  • 'unaccounted for' amounts which are subject to variation because of cyclical billing
  • losses in the main generator transformers and the electrical energy absorbed by the generating auxiliaries.
This is a summary of your balancing electricity supply and disposition.
  Quantity in MWh
Supply  
 a. Gross production of electricity
 Net electricity generation + Own use consumption from self-generated electricity
 
b. Imported electricity from the United States  
c. Withdrawal or purchased electricity  
Total supply of electricity
i.e., the total quantity available for use, distribution or sale
 
Disposition  
d. Own use consumption from self-generated electricity  
e. Own consumption from imported, received or purchased electricity   
f. Exported electricity to United States  
g. Delivered electricity to other domestic businesses  
h. Delivered electricity to consumers enrolled with retailers  
i. Delivered electricity to end-use consumers  
Total disposition of electricity
i.e., the total quantity used, distributed or sold
 
Unallocated and/or losses  
j. Total supply of electricity  
k. Total disposition of electricity  
Total unallocated and/or losses  

Changes or events

1. Indicate any changes or events that affected the reported values for this business or organization, compared with the last reporting period.

Select all that apply.

  • Strike or lock-out
  • How many days in "month" was your business or organization open?
  • Exchange rate impact
  • Price changes in goods or services sold
  • Contracting out
  • Organizational change
  • Price changes in labour or raw materials
  • Natural disaster
  • How many days in "month" was your business or organization open?
  • Recession
  • Change in product line
  • Sold business or business units
  • Expansion
  • New or lost contract
  • Plant closures
  • How many days in "month" was your business or organization open?
  • Acquisition of business or business units
  • Other
    Specify the other changes or events:
  • No changes or events

Contact person

1. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information.

Is the provided given names and the provided family name the best person to contact?

  • Yes
  • No

Who is the best person to contact about this questionnaire?

  • First name:
  • Last name:
  • Title:
  • Email address:
  • Telephone number (including area code):
  • Extension number (if applicable)
    The maximum number of characters is 5.
  • Fax number (including area code):

Feedback

1. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire?

Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.

  • Hours:
  • Minutes:

2. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?

Forecasting power consumption in remote northern Canadian communities

By: Alireza Rahimnejad Yazdi, Lingjun Zhou and Zarrin Langari, Digital Accelerator, Natural Resources Canada; Ryan Kilpatrick, CanmetENERGY Ottawa, Natural Resources Canada

Introduction

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has been helping northern and remote Canadian communities transition from traditional fossil fuel-based power to renewable, green energy. Most of these communities are geographically isolated and powered by fossil fuel generators. To support this initiative, researchers at NRCan needed to accurately forecast these communities' annual power consumption to determine what kind of renewable energy would best support these communities. To do this, they used historical data with an hourly resolution, as well as population and weather data. By coming up with a typical hourly power consumption profile for any community, we can reasonably estimate the hourly power usage for communities lacking historical data.

With publicly available data provided by its client NRCan's CanmetENERGY Ottawa (CE-O), the Digital Accelerator team focused the analysis on power consumption data of 11 remote communities in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec. The data was given at hourly resolution for years 2013, 2014, 2015. Given that this analytical approach uses the average power consumption across these three available years, the power consumption data of a given year leaks into the model that is used to make a prediction for that year, and this leakage undermines the validity of any measured performance metrics.

We consider that remote community electricity consumption has a nonlinear relationship with variables, such as weather, population, age/efficiency of appliances, building age, and in the case of electric heating, occupancy rates and habits. However, since most traditional prediction approaches lack a learning mechanism, it's difficult to describe the nonlinear relationship between electricity consumption and influencing variables, which results in low forecast accuracy.

Our analysis will determine if machine learning (ML) techniques can produce a more accurate prediction of remote community electric loads compared to CE-O's analytical approach and determine which type of ML techniques is the most appropriate for this application. We also hope to apply the selected ML technique to create typical hourly synthetic diesel electric load profiles to the set of remote communities missing the granular hourly power usage data.

Before we did this, we assumed the following:

  • The communities' populations stay constant throughout the entire year, which means at every point in time, a house has the same number of occupants and don't have snowbirds, for example.
  • There are no major temperature fluctuations. With the advent of climate change, extreme weather phenomena such as extremely hot or cold spells in a short period of time, could lead to inaccurate modeling.
  • There are no major changes in latent variables that could contribute to power consumption not included in the dataset. This is a very strong requirement, given that we don't know what these latent variables are.

Data preprocessing and exploratory data analysis

An exploratory data analysis (EDA) was performed to investigate the data by discovering patterns, spotting anomalies, and checking for the presence of missing data with the help of summary statistics and graphical representations. We also identified typical energy use features for any community during EDA to help estimate the granular level power usage for communities with only annual/total power consumption data.

Various models such as linear regression, LGBM (light gradient boosting machine), XGBoost, Theta Forecaster, Ensemble Forecaster, Auto-ARIMA, Auto-ETS, naïve forecast, Fast Fourier Transformation and neural networks were used to make forecasts and their performances were compared.

As part of the data preparation, population and power consumption data were combined by calculating the power consumption per capita. Then, the power consumption data per capita were plotted over time. Power consumption data have three components: trends, seasonality, and noise. Features in the data were assumed to hold predictive power and were therefore chosen to be used in the final model.

The latitude and longitude information varied too little to provide meaningful input and were discarded for this stage. Visualization showed the following information:

Figure 1. The x-axis for two plots below is datetime, the first hour being 12:00 am, Jan 01, 2013

Two-line charts plotting the power consumption per capita against the datetime, and temperature against the datetime. The power consumption per capita has obvious dips during the warmer months, such as July, and peaks over colder months, such as January. The temperature and power consumption per capita are negatively correlated.

The autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation calculations for power consumption per capita data. The autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation plots both show peaks every 24 hours indicating a strong correlation every 24 hours. This means the exact s
Figure 2. Note that the x-axis above is hour, where 12:00 am, Jan 01, 2013, is the first hour and 11:00pm, Dec 31, 2015, is the last hour.

The autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation calculations for power consumption per capita data. The autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation plots both show peaks every 24 hours indicating a strong correlation every 24 hours. This means the exact same hour of a previous and current day share similar power usages.

There are in total 26,280 hours over three years. Both autocorrelation (ACF) and partial autocorrelation (PACF) show that there's a strong correlation every 24 hours. This makes sense because the daily power consumption usually follows a repeatable pattern. The PACF is the ACF with the intermediate correlations removed. For example, PACF of lag 3 is the ACF of lag 3 minus the ACF of lag 1 and 2. Autocorrelation and Partial Autocorrelation in Time Series Data gives a detailed discussion for their differences. We can see clearly from the PACF that power usage is strongly correlated with its own value 24 hours prior.

A zoomed-in version of the power consumption per capita against datetime. We can see peak usage approximately every 24 hours
Figure 3. A zoomed-in version of the historical power consumption data. The x-axis here is datetime, to the precision of hours.

A zoomed-in version of the power consumption per capita against datetime. We can see peak usage approximately every 24 hours.

The following is a summary of the patterns we found in the images above.

  • There's an inverse relationship between normalized temperature and power consumption per capita.
  • There's a weak increasing trend in power consumption, but overall, there's a repeated annual pattern.
  • Within a year, power usages go up in cold months and down in warmer months. Note that how much power usage goes up in cold months, and down in warmer months differs from community to community.
  • Within a day, there's higher power usage during wake hours than during rest hours, with the peak around midday. Note that the peak value differs from community to community.

Results

The following image is a forecast based on neural networks. Forecasts with other algorithms have similar appearances.

A simulated power consumption per capita forecast for next year (in orange) plotted against the actual next year's power consumption per capita data (in blue). We can see the simulated power usage almost overlaps with the actual power usage. After comparing the performance of various algorithms with mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), we obtained to the results specified in Table 1.]
Figure 4. The x-axis is hours, with 12:00 am, Jan 01, 2013, as the first hour.

A simulated power consumption per capita forecast for next year (in orange) plotted against the actual next year's power consumption per capita data (in blue). We can see the simulated power usage almost overlaps with the actual power usage.

After comparing the performance of various algorithms with mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), we obtained to the results specified in the below table.

Community Neural Network MAPE LGBM MAPE Linear MAPE Theta MAPE Naïve MAPE Manual approach
2013 2014 2015
Inukjuak 7.1% 6.7% 6.5% 8.2% 7.7% 12.9% 7.5% 4.9%
Salluit 6.2% 6.8% 6.7% 6.7% 6.1% 7.7% 6.0% 5.0%
Quaqtag 10.7% 8.8% 8.3% 11.5% 12.2% 16.1% 11.7% 5.7%
Aupaluk 7.9% 8.8% 8.8% 13% 7.8% 10.2% 9.5% 8.6%
Ivujivik 12.9% 14.9% 14.9% 14.9% 13.9% 14.3% 6.3% 6.3%
Kuujjuaq 4.4% 5.3% 5.4% 7.4% 5.4% 5.0% 4.7% 5.4%
Kangirsuk 8.1% 11.0% 10.8% 9.0% 8.8% 8.4% 8.4% 7.8%
Umiujaq 5.4% - - - - 10.9% 9.3% 7.1%
Kuujjuarapik 6.6% 4.8% 4.8% 4.9% 5.2% 98.9% 6.6% 7.4%
Kangiqsualujjuaq 7.9% 7.4% 7.5% 11.7% 7.1% 8.1% 9.0% 8.4%
Puvirnituq 6,2% - - - - 12.5% 7.5% 5.5%
  • All the above approaches share similar procedures. We first conducted a temporal split on the data to arrive at a train and test data set. Then we trained the machine learning models on the training data and measured the performance by three different metrics that are commonly used for regression problems: MAE (mean absolute error), RMSE (root mean squared error) and MAPE. Finally, we tuned the hyperparameters to reach the best performance for each model.
  • The neural network model has four layers. The first three layers have 32 units with relu activation and last layer has one unit with a linear activation. The loss function and optimizer are MSE (mean squared error) and RMS (root mean square) prop, respectively. Early stopping, the validation loss was used to stop train and avoid overfitting. MAPE of less than 10% was achieved for nine out of 11 communities.
  • For the LGBM, Linear, and Theta forecaster model, we first decomposed the data by removing seasonality and trend to arrive at the residual, then trained the model on the residual and reversed the process to arrive at a prediction.
    • The difference:
      • LGBM is a tree-based model and fast to train
      • Linear is a linear regression model and trained just as fast as LGBM
      • Theta is an exponential smoothing model and took some time to train
  • For naïve forecasting, we simply shifted the previous year's power consumption and used it as current year's power consumption prediction.
  • The last column shows the manual approach used by CE-O that illustrates the difference between the predicted and measured power consumptions for the year 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. The reason there are three values is due to the way manual approach works.

Here are our observations based on the results:

  • Across multiple communities, the various machine learning approaches and models provide similar accuracy. The complex neural network model is only slightly better but does not significantly outperform simpler models such as LGBM or Linear Regression.
  • Naïve forecast, namely shifting the previous year's power consumption record as current year's power usage forecast, can provide just as good a result as any other model. This would not work if the increasing trend is stronger. Naïve forecast is surprisingly difficult to beat. This is common for time series prediction and comes from the observation that there is an evident annual repeated pattern in power consumption.
  • There are other potentially useful algorithms such as Fourier analysis, LSTM (long short-term memory networks), Auto ARIMA,but they're all inefficient and computationally expensive to capture the repeatable pattern to produce meaningful results. At one point, the authors tried to use auto ARIMA to simulate the time series, but our GPU (graphics processing unit) workstation crashed after five and a half hours of intense computing. 260G of RAM was filled while its CPU (central processing unit) scores were running at 100%.

What we discovered

When compared to the manual approach, ML and naïve forecasting can, on average, perform two to three percent better.

The risk of large errors from the manual approach (16.1% and 98.9%) is significantly reduced. Machine learning approaches appear to be more stable. Given the fact that naïve forecasting can perform just as well as a machine learning algorithm, it might be more efficient to consider the use of a previous year's power consumption as our future forecast. However, we must ensure that there is an annual repeatable pattern in the data by conducting a thorough EDA.

The end goal is to create a "typical" hourly power consumption profile for communities with only external variables' history, such as weather data history. By "typical" power consumption profile, we mean the cookie-cutter results once external variables are given. For example, if two communities have the same climate data then they would have the same power consumption per capita at each hour of the year. We were limited from fulfilling this objective for a few reasons:

  • We notice that the power consumption per capita are in the same order of numbers (in between 0.5 kw and 1.9 kw). However, an average person in some communities still uses significantly more power than in other communities. This will be a challenge for creating a "typical" power consumption profile for an average user in a "typical" community. Some type of normalization may be needed.
  • In the community of Ivujivik, the power consumption for year 2014 does not match the patterns we identified through EDA. It fluctuates significantly throughout the year and does not fit the pattern of low power usage during warmer months and high-power usage during colder months. Further attention is needed to identify why this exists.

The future of this project

There's potential for this project to be extended. If we decide to move forward, a new agreement will be put in place to obtain more recent data with more diverse communities from more geo-locations and climate types/regions, and to collect higher resolution data and identify universal patterns across more datasets. If a richer and more diverse dataset is feasible, we would attempt to develop new models that can predict power consumption for communities without power usage records. We could explore the relationship between power consumption and external variables.

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Date modified:

Periodical publishers: CVs for operating revenue - 2021

Periodical publishers: CVs for operating revenue - 2021
Table summary
This table displays the results of CVs for operating revenue - periodical publishers. The information is grouped by Geography (appearing as row headers), CVs for operating revenue, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Geography CVs for operating revenue
percent
Canada 0.67
Atlantic provinces 0.00
Quebec 0.69
Ontario 1.11
Prairie provinces 0.29
British Columbia and Territories 0.95