Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 100648 |
| Journal | Energy and AI |
| Volume | 22 |
| Early online date | 25 Nov 2025 |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2025 |
Abstract
Accurate forecasting of renewable power generation is crucial for grid stability and cost efficiency. Feature selection in AI-based forecasting remains challenging due to high data acquisition cost, lack of transparency, and limited user control. We introduce a transparent and cost-sensitive feature selection framework for renewable power forecasting that leverages Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI). We integrate SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and Explain Like I'm 5 (ELI5) to identify dominant and redundant features. This approach enables systematic dataset reduction without compromising model performance. Our case study, based on Photovoltaic (PV) generation data, evaluates the approach across four experimental setups. Experimental results indicate that our XAI-based feature selection reduces the dominance index from 0.37 to 0.17, maintains high predictive accuracy (R2 = 0.94, drop < 0.04), and lowers data acquisition costs. Furthermore, eliminating dominant features improves robustness to noise and reduces performance variance by a factor of three compared to the baseline scenario. The developed framework enhances interpretability, supports human-in-the-loop decision-making, and introduces a cost-sensitive objective function for feature selection. By combining transparency, robustness, and efficiency, we contribute to the development and implementation of Trustworthy AI (TAI) applications in energy forecasting, providing a scalable solution for industrial deployment.
Keywords
- Cost efficiency, Energy sector, Explainable artificial intelligence, Feature reduction, Robustness, XAI-feature selection Framework
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Engineering(all)
- Engineering (miscellaneous)
- Energy(all)
- General Energy
- Computer Science(all)
- Artificial Intelligence
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Energy and AI, Vol. 22, 100648, 12.2025.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - An explainable artificial intelligence feature selection framework for transparent, trustworthy, and cost-efficient energy forecasting
AU - Kost, Leonard
AU - Lier, Sarah K.
AU - Breitner, Michael H.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Authors
PY - 2025/12
Y1 - 2025/12
N2 - Accurate forecasting of renewable power generation is crucial for grid stability and cost efficiency. Feature selection in AI-based forecasting remains challenging due to high data acquisition cost, lack of transparency, and limited user control. We introduce a transparent and cost-sensitive feature selection framework for renewable power forecasting that leverages Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI). We integrate SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and Explain Like I'm 5 (ELI5) to identify dominant and redundant features. This approach enables systematic dataset reduction without compromising model performance. Our case study, based on Photovoltaic (PV) generation data, evaluates the approach across four experimental setups. Experimental results indicate that our XAI-based feature selection reduces the dominance index from 0.37 to 0.17, maintains high predictive accuracy (R2 = 0.94, drop < 0.04), and lowers data acquisition costs. Furthermore, eliminating dominant features improves robustness to noise and reduces performance variance by a factor of three compared to the baseline scenario. The developed framework enhances interpretability, supports human-in-the-loop decision-making, and introduces a cost-sensitive objective function for feature selection. By combining transparency, robustness, and efficiency, we contribute to the development and implementation of Trustworthy AI (TAI) applications in energy forecasting, providing a scalable solution for industrial deployment.
AB - Accurate forecasting of renewable power generation is crucial for grid stability and cost efficiency. Feature selection in AI-based forecasting remains challenging due to high data acquisition cost, lack of transparency, and limited user control. We introduce a transparent and cost-sensitive feature selection framework for renewable power forecasting that leverages Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI). We integrate SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and Explain Like I'm 5 (ELI5) to identify dominant and redundant features. This approach enables systematic dataset reduction without compromising model performance. Our case study, based on Photovoltaic (PV) generation data, evaluates the approach across four experimental setups. Experimental results indicate that our XAI-based feature selection reduces the dominance index from 0.37 to 0.17, maintains high predictive accuracy (R2 = 0.94, drop < 0.04), and lowers data acquisition costs. Furthermore, eliminating dominant features improves robustness to noise and reduces performance variance by a factor of three compared to the baseline scenario. The developed framework enhances interpretability, supports human-in-the-loop decision-making, and introduces a cost-sensitive objective function for feature selection. By combining transparency, robustness, and efficiency, we contribute to the development and implementation of Trustworthy AI (TAI) applications in energy forecasting, providing a scalable solution for industrial deployment.
KW - Cost efficiency
KW - Energy sector
KW - Explainable artificial intelligence
KW - Feature reduction
KW - Robustness
KW - XAI-feature selection Framework
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105023096365&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.egyai.2025.100648
DO - 10.1016/j.egyai.2025.100648
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105023096365
VL - 22
JO - Energy and AI
JF - Energy and AI
M1 - 100648
ER -