pandapower - an Open Source Python Tool for Convenient Modeling, Analysis and Optimization of Electric Power Systems

TL;DR

pandapower is an open-source Python tool that simplifies modeling, analysis, and optimization of electric power systems, integrating various analysis methods with a user-friendly interface and validation against industry standards.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive, Python-based power system analysis tool with accelerated solvers, validation, and extensibility for automation and research applications.

Findings

Accelerated Newton-Raphson power flow solver with JIT compilation

Validated models against industry-standard software

Successfully applied in grid studies and educational contexts

Abstract

pandapower is a Python based, BSD-licensed power system analysis tool aimed at automation of static and quasi-static analysis and optimization of balanced power systems. It provides power flow, optimal power flow, state estimation, topological graph searches and short circuit calculations according to IEC 60909. pandapower includes a Newton-Raphson power flow solver formerly based on PYPOWER, which has been accelerated with just-in-time compilation. Additional enhancements to the solver include the capability to model constant current loads, grids with multiple reference nodes and a connectivity check. The pandapower network model is based on electric elements, such as lines, two and three-winding transformers or ideal switches. All elements can be defined with nameplate parameters and are internally processed with equivalent circuit models, which have been validated against industry standard software tools. The tabular data structure used to define networks is based on the Python library pandas, which allows comfortable handling of input and output parameters. The implementation in Python makes pandapower easy to use and allows comfortable extension with third-party libraries. pandapower has been successfully applied in several grid studies as well as for educational purposes. A comprehensive, publicly available case-study demonstrates a possible application of pandapower in an automated time series calculation.