Python for Power Systems Analysis
Project description
Python for Power Systems Analysis
PyPSA stands for “Python for Power System Analysis”. It is pronounced “pipes-ah”.
PyPSA is a free software toolbox for simulating and optimising modern electric power systems that include features such as variable wind and solar generation, storage units and mixed alternating and direct current networks.
As of 2016 PyPSA is under heavy development and therefore it is recommended to use caution when using it in a production environment. Some APIs may change - those liable to be updated are listed in the doc/todo.rst.
PyPSA was initially developed by the Renewable Energy Group at FIAS to carry out simulations for the CoNDyNet project, financed by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF).
Documentation
Documentation can be found in sphinx reStructuredText format in doc/ and as a website and as a pdf.
What PyPSA does and does not do (yet)
PyPSA can calculate:
static power flow (using both the full non-linear network equations and the linearised network equations)
optimal power flow (optimisation of power plant dispatch within network constraints, using the linear network equations)
total electricity system optimisation (using linear network equations, over several snapshots simultaneously for optimisation of generation and storage dispatch and the capacities of generation, storage and transmission)
It has models for:
meshed multiply-connected AC and DC networks, with controllable converters between AC and DC networks
conventional dispatchable generators
generators with time-varying power availability, such as wind and solar generators
storage units with efficiency losses
hydroelectricity with inflow and spillage
Functionality that will definitely by added soon (see also doc/todo.rst):
Graphical plotting of networks with power flow
Integration of heating sector (CHPs, heat pumps, etc.)
Security Constrained Linear OPF
Simple RMS simulations with the swing equation
Distributed active power slack
Non-linear power flow solution using analytic continuation in the complex plane
Functionality that may be added in the future:
Unit Commitment using MILP
Short-circuit current calculations
Dynamic RMS simulations
Small signal stability analysis
Interactive web-based GUI
OPF with the full non-linear network equations
Dynamic EMT simulations
Unbalanced load flow
What PyPSA uses under the hood
PyPSA is written and tested to be compatible with both Python 2.7 and Python 3.4.
It leans heavily on the following Python packages:
pandas for storing data about components and time series
numpy and scipy for calculations, such as linear algebra and sparse matrix calculations
pyomo for preparing optimisation problems (currently only linear)
networkx for some network calculations (such as discovering connected networks)
py.test for unit testing
The optimisation uses pyomo so that it is independent of the preferred solver (you can use e.g. the free software GLPK or the commercial software Gurobi).
The time-expensive calculations, such as solving sparse linear equations, are carried out using the scipy.sparse libraries.
Licence
PyPSA is released as free software under the GPLv3, see LICENSE.txt.
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