Frequently Asked Questions

Links to FAQ sections

Energy Nowcasting Challenge FAQ

I am not from Europe - can I still participate?

Yes, the European Statistics Awards for Nowcasting are open for participants from all continents. Please refer to the eligibility overview sections of the competitions:

Where are the data that I should use for nowcasting?

Unlike a traditional hackathon, teams do not get any particular data to use for the European Statistics Awards for Nowcasting. To edge out your competitors, you are free to use whichever auxiliary data you think are the most predictive ones – but finding them will be a challenge!

Can I submit nowcasts for European aggregates as well as for countries?

You can only submit nowcasts for countries. To maximise your chances to win, we encourage you to submit for as many countries as possible.

Can our first point estimate submission be for e.g. August 2023 or October 2023 or are we obliged to submit point estimates for June 2023?

You are not obliged to make a submission for June 2023. Your first submission can be as late as October 2023. However, you are strongly encouraged to make your submissions as soon as possible as this will increase your chance at success and lower the probability that a submission will be invalid.

Can I change my model?

To get a higher accuracy score, you might modify the model that you use for an entry. Please note, however, that if you are in the running for the reproducibility awards, then the best integrity scores are awarded if you consistently apply the same model.

How do I make a submission?

In order to make your submission, create a zip file containing

  1. the point_estimates.json file, and
  2. the accuracy_approach_description.docx file.

Zip the files directly, not in a folder.
Next,

  • navigate to “Participate > Submit / View Results”,
    select the corresponding "Reference Period", and
  • click the “Upload a Submission” button.
    This will open your file explorer, from where you can select the zip file you wish to upload.

The system returns an error in case you are uploading the json file instead of a zip file.

I am trying to upload my json files and receiving an error. Why?

The system returns an error in case you are uploading the json file instead of a zip file. In the zip file, the files have to be directly in the root, not in a subfolder.

In addition, the returned error shows how the zip file should be structured.

For further details, see how to submit.

Is it a must to submit the result in JSON?

Yes, the submission must be made in JSON format – but the JSON files must be embedded in a zip file.

For further details, see how to submit.

Does the Accuracy_Approach_description file need to be uploaded every time while submitting a result?

Yes – each monthly submission must be accompanied by an Accuracy_Approach_description file – but you do not need to change it between submissions if you are using the same approach. If you adjust your method between submissions, then the Accuracy_Approach_description file should be updated to reflect this.

Do you expect participants to deliver a description of the approach together with the submission of the first point estimate or is it possible to deliver the description of the approach with the submission of a latter point estimate?

Yes – In order to be eligible to compete for the Accuracy award, each monthly submission must be accompanied by an Accuracy_Approach_description file that outlines the approach. You do not need to change it between submissions if you are using the same approach. If you adjust your method between submissions, then the Accuracy_Approach_description file should be updated to reflect this.

I made multiple submissions for a particular reference period. Which submissions will enter the competition? The latest, the best, or all of them?

Only the last submission counts – it supersedes all previous submissions.

What does the performance ranking indicate?

Before the first release of European statistics for a given reference month, the performance ranking

  • indicates, for each team, the number of entries made during that month
  • is ordered by the time at which the last submission was made (and is thus completely unrelated to the forthcoming accuracy score of the team).

Once the European statistics have been released (and the entries have been evaluated) for the time series in question, the performance ranking

  • is updated for each team to reflect the performance of the best entry (out of the up to five different entries) of the team for that month only
  • is ordered by the performance of the best entry for that particular month
  • is not cumulative, and hence only loosely related to the final accuracy score (even in case a team ranks first for all months, this may stem from different entries, so another team altogether might win the first prize for accuracy)

When can I expect an answer to the question I submitted by e-mail?

Questions can be sent to the competition management team (at info@statistics-awards.eu) at any time during the competition. All questions will be answered in a timely manner. Those relevant for other competitors will be added to the FAQ. However, in order to avoid bias, questions that arrive 3 days prior to each submission deadline date will be answered after the deadline. Following each monthly deadline, the answering of questions will resume normally.

If I need urgent help with a submission issue, when can I expect an answer?

Specific submission issues can be reported to the competition management team (at info@statistics-awards.eu) any time during the competition. However, please note that the mailbox is only monitored on a best-efforts basis during working hours on regular working days (thus excluding any public holidays in Slovenia; see https://www.gov.si/en/topics/national-holidays/).

While every effort will be made to support teams with their submissions, late response by the competition management team cannot be invoked as a mitigating circumstance in case a team fails to achieve a submission within the time limits. Teams are thus encouraged to do whatever they can to avoid last-minute submission problems.

How can my team avoid last-minute submission problems?

Teams are also encouraged to familiarise themselves with the submission interface and submission requirements, and to (at least for the first reference period) make a mock submission to ensure that their submission is correctly structured and transmitted. This mock submission will be superseded by the “real” submission of the reference period.

Moreover, as support is not provided on a 24/7 basis, teams are encouraged to make their submissions early, well ahead of the deadline.