Testimonials

See what clients are saying ...

"Excellent framework for the presentation. Tao was extremely informative and was flexible in directing the presentation towards the class needs. He went through the presentation very smoothly. I found all of the presentations very interesting. It was easy to engage into the class discussion thanks to Tao. Highly recommend class to senior and junior forecasters in the electric industry."

Joseph Phalen, Business Analyst, Bear Valley Electric Service

"Tao does a wonderful job teaching his innovative and highly effective methods. I realized quickly that what he teaches is applicable to all utility forecasting, not just electric load forecasting, and I'm anxious to try his methods in my own work on natural gas consumption."

Dave Landward, Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Questar Gas Company

"This is by far the best short course I've attended. The instructor clearly has mastery of the subject material and is willing and able to share this knowledge."

Michael Hollis, PhD, Senior Resources Specialist, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

"This course should be a requirement for anyone involved in bidding in next day forecasted load into an organized market, or for those involved in purchasing hourly electric power. Resource planners would find this course especially helpful in developing mid-term demand forecasts. Tao covers ground that no one else in the industry wants to talk about. "

Dave Stolz, Manager Power Markets, Hoosier Energy REC, Inc

"Dr. Hong’s course was very informative and useful. He covered the fundamentals and provided real world examples using SAS. My team and I are going to be leveraging the knowledge gained to help develop/improve our short-term forecasts. I would highly recommend this course!"

Huan Ho, Manager of Gas Load Forecasting, Direct Energy

"Tao has great expertise in utility load forecasting. Combine his skills in SAS with his outstanding capabilities as an instructor, and you have an opportunity to learn from the best. Don’t miss his classes."

Margaret Yelverton, Manager of Business Services, NC Electric Membership Corporation

"The load forecasting course provided detailed instructions on how to develop a forecast from a rather simple model to more complex models. The class also covered best practices on how to validate the forecasting accuracy of models. The instructor was very knowledgeable and did his best to ensure that all attendees understood the material covered."

Calvin Opheim, Manager of Forecasting, Electric Reliability Council of Texas

"Tao's interest and passion when it comes to load forecasting is infectious. Tao's experience academically as well as in the industry makes him an expert in this area. I can honestly say that this was the most interesting training I have attended, and I learned a lot of valuable information. I highly recommend this course."

Crystal Glidewell, System Load Analyst III, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation

“Tao was fabulous! It's great to see such clear enthusiasm for the topic and he clearly knows the material AND is able to break it down so that we can understand the basics. AWESOME! I want to take every tao class.”

Sandra Holland, PhD, Sr. Forecast Analyst, Tucson Electric Power

"This course is significantly improved over the one I took earlier in 2012. The use of SAS enterprise guide during the exercises is very relevant and applicable to my job. Dr. Hong is an excellent teacher. He has a passion for what he teaches, and he exhibits a total mastery of the subject matter. If a student asks a question, Dr. Hong immediately has the correct answer. I very much enjoy learning from him. SAS needs to give him a raise."

Jason Wilson, Load Research Analyst, NC Electric Membership Corporation

"Thank you for all you have done, we gained a lot from you and it was the best course I have ever attended regarding load forecasting. I wish you and your family the best."

Abdulwahab M. Mohder, Sr. Transmission Engineer, Saudi Electricity Company

And more...

(The comments below are picked up from course evaluations. If you find yours and would like to associate your name with it, please let Tao know.)

"Excellent job, I wish more of my college professors could have taught more like you."

"Great course. Definitely a good course for professionals in the industry to learn a few new tricks."

"He is extremely experienced in this subject area and actually enjoys what he is teaching... so it was very easy to stay completely engaged during the entire course. The class was exciting and I would definitely recommend this class to others if Tao is teaching."

"The course design and speaker flexibility was excellent. Very useful presentation and suggestions which can be immediately put to use. Well worth the time, money and effort."

"One of the best courses I have taken in my careers (28 years). There was a lot to learn from this course and Tao even after many years as a utility and energy market forecaster. I will recommend this course to all of my colleges in the power industry."

"Dr. Tao Hong is extremely knowledgeable about forecasting methodology."

“It is clear that Tao is very passionate about his work. His enthusiasm is quite catching. I'm anxious to get back to work and try some of his examples on my own data.”

“Not just very nice and friendly, but also know the topic very well.”

“That was one of the best classes I’ve ever taken (and I’ve taken a lot of classes).”

“The class discussions were very helpful and the direction provided for them helped keep them on task and relevant.”

“I appreciated the activities. As a novice in forecasting, it helped me gauge my retention and level of understanding, and the discussion/review helped understand varying viewpoints.”

“Dr. Hong is clearly an expert and passionate in this field.”

“Tao's combination of academic, industry and SAS experience is beneficial.”

“He did a great job of explaining complicated material and making it simple to understand.”

“Great material and knowledgeable instructor. Very worthwhile.”

“He did a very good job with the teaching, not only covering the materials in an organized way but also introducing many new perspectives.”

“Very helpful, it filled in a couple of gaps I had in construction proper models.”

“Tao is very informative and I would highly recommend him as an instructor in this course.”

“For someone who doesn't know SAS I thought the class was well taught and progressed smoothly.”

"I would recommend this class to new forecasters and experienced ones alike. It was a great intro and also offered new approaches and visualization for more experienced participants."

"I think Tao was great. He communicated the concepts in ways that were easy to understand, in an extremely well organized manner and really engaged the class. I really don't know how he could have do better."

"Very good presenter, clearly has strong area interest and desire to share skills with others."

"The course was great for me... I'm excited that I can go back and apply some of the fundamentals/methodologies that we learned over that past two days."

"Great presenter. Very well spoken and engaing. He made me feel comfortable and gave various means of contacting him after the class."

"Very knowledgeable and presents material clearly."

"Tao was well prepared and cover each topic in a timely manner."

"Dr Tao was exceptional. He actively looks for ways to improve the course."

"Good interaction with students. It helped me when people talked about their specific issues."

"Absolutely wonderful. Material was right on target. Tao is so energetic. It is hard to keep the attention and engagement of folks in a class of that level of theoretical detail-- Tao accomplished that."

"His knowledge is best of the best. US and World needs his talent. Such people need to spend more time with executives to educate them. This will help executives understand analysts and why analysts need more time and budget. "

"Very knowledgeable with practical experiences, got to know more than any other courses."

"Very interesting learning about the materials, thanks for continuing allow us to understand these concepts and to better apply to our work."

"Course is very well done; good pace and covers lots of material. "

"Great class Tao. Good refresher for me in regards to forecasting for me (took one in college). Also helps me try to develop a strong model for our gap editing. "

"Good job. Very good class. You make understanding the logic in forecasting very simple and easy to grasp. "

"Excellent instructor. Tao Hong has outstanding modeling and forecasting skills built on a deep understanding of statistical methods and theory AS WELL AS excellent communication and teaching skills. It is a rare combination to find someone so technically knowledgeable who can also explain difficult information in such a clear, concise, and effective manner. "

"Challenged my thinking and helped me see new ways of approaching old problems. This aspect alone was well worth the investment in the course. "