Is the National Electric System ready for the time change? Suncast has everything prepared

The Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional (CEN) has sent a letter to the coordinated companies reminding the time change, which will be effective as of the 5th of April.  In response to the concerns of many generating companies, the Chilean company assures that the renewable energy forecasts will continue to be sent correctly on schedule, just as they have been during the previous time changes.

Santiago, Chile, 02nd of April of 2025.- This past 25th of March, the Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional (CEN) sent an official statement to generating companies to remind them that on the 05th of April 2025 at 24:00 hours, there will be a time adjustment in Chile, adjusting time zones from GMT-03 to GMT-04 following the 2022 Decreto Supremo N° 224. The time change directly affects the electric system’s planning, including variable renewable energy generation forecasts, a reality that has caused uncertainty among many energy companies. 

From Suncast, its CTO, Pedro Correa, said that their systems are prepared to guarantee the continuity in the automatic sending of clean energy forecasts aligned with the new time zone, ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of forecasts to the Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional (CEN). 

“At Suncast, we have developed and implemented a technological solution that automates time zone adjustments over the forecasts sent by API and SFTP to the Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional. This innovation, based on precise algorithms and robust integration systems, has allowed us to efficiently manage time changes over the last years, preventing interruptions in services”, he explained.

Correa assures that Suncast successfully faced time changes in the past. “In September 2024, when the country set its clocks forward, our systems automatically adjusted to continue sending forecasts without interruption to the Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional and our clients. This Saturday, we will face the time change in Chile again, and at Suncast, we are prepared to guarantee, once again, the continuity and accuracy that distinguishes us”, he said.

While time change is a reality that occurs yearly in Chile, Correa explains that although it may seem a minor detail: “The time change can have a relevant impact on the electric system’s stability if it’s not handled properly”, so he encouraged to prepare properly.

For this purpose, the technology leader mentioned the recent blackout that took place on the 25th of February, and although it was not related to a time change, it reinforces the importance of proper planning. “The proper management of time zone changes are crucial in preventing critical situations like the one that took place on the 25th of February”.