External:Electric Electric
Open-source electrical network simulation tools
AI-Generated Content Notice: The following content (table) was generated using ChatGPT on 2026-07-22.
[Included in accordance with the AOWIS AI Usage Guide (REQ-AI-007, REQ-AI-008) and MAY require verification and/or post-editing.]
These tools model electrical power networks for buildings, campuses, villages, microgrids and utility distribution systems. They are intended for electrical power engineering, not electronic circuit design.
| Software | Best suited for | Main capabilities | Integration | Graphical interface | Licence | Similarity to EPANET |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenDSS | Village grids, microgrids, low-voltage and medium-voltage distribution networks | Unbalanced multi-phase power flow, time-series simulation, lines, transformers, loads, switches, photovoltaic systems, batteries, capacitors and voltage regulators | DSS scripts and external simulation interfaces | No complete EPANET-style graphical editor in the core project | BSD-style EPRI licence | Very high |
| Power Grid Model | Native C++ applications and distribution-grid calculations | Symmetric and asymmetric power flow, state estimation, short-circuit calculations and batch calculations | C++ core, C API and Python API | No complete built-in graphical network editor | MPL 2.0 | High |
| pandapower | Rapid development and electrical-network analysis in Python | Power flow, optimal power flow, state estimation, short-circuit calculations, topology analysis and time-series simulation | Python library with table-based network models | Plotting and third-party graphical interfaces are available | BSD 3-Clause | High |
| GridLAB-D | Detailed simulation of buildings, consumers and smart grids | Distribution power flow, household loads, appliances, heating, electric vehicles, photovoltaic systems, batteries, tariffs and demand response | Native simulation engine with its own model format | No simple EPANET-style desktop editor in the core project | LGPL 2.1 | Medium to high |
| PyPSA | Village microgrid planning, generation planning and storage optimisation | Economic dispatch, optimal power flow, storage optimisation, renewable-energy modelling and capacity-expansion planning | Python framework using mathematical optimisation solvers | Network plotting is available, but it is not primarily an interactive editor | MIT | Low for detailed wiring; high for planning |
Recommendation
- Closest overall equivalent to EPANET: OpenDSS
- Best native solver candidate for a C++/Qt application: Power Grid Model
- Best for rapid Python-based development: pandapower
- Best for detailed building-to-grid simulation: GridLAB-D
- Best for photovoltaic, battery and generation planning: PyPSA
Approximate EPANET terminology mapping
| EPANET concept | Electrical equivalent | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Junction | Bus or node | Electrical connection point at which lines, loads, generators or transformers meet |
| Pipe | Cable or overhead line | Carries electrical current between buses |
| Demand | Electrical load | Consumer of active and reactive electrical power |
| Reservoir | External grid, slack bus or voltage source | Defines the reference voltage and balances power entering or leaving the network |
| Tank | Battery or energy-storage system | Stores energy over time, although it is not mathematically identical to a water tank |
| Pump | Transformer or power converter | Changes voltage level or actively transfers power |
| Valve | Switch, circuit breaker, fuse or voltage regulator | Controls, disconnects or regulates a connection |
| Pressure | Voltage | Electrical potential at a bus |
| Flow rate | Current or active/reactive power | Quantity transported through a line |
| Hydraulic simulation | Power-flow or load-flow calculation | Calculates bus voltages, line currents, power flows and equipment loading |