Open-Source Software for Power Industry Research, Teaching, and Training: A DC Optimal Power Flow Illustration

Software currently available for power industry studies is largely proprietary. Lack of open-source access prevents users from gaining a complete and accurate understanding of what has been implemented, restricts the ability of users to experiment with new software features, and hinders users from tailoring software to specific training scenarios. This study reports on the development of a stand-alone open-source Java solver for DC optimal power flow (DC-OPF) problems suitable for research, teaching, and training purposes. The DC-OPF solver is shown to match or exceed the accuracy of BPMPD, a proprietary third-party QP solver highly recommended by MatPower, when tested on a public repository of small to medium-sized QP problems. The capabilities of the DC-OPF solver are illustrated for a 5-node DC-OPF test case commonly used for training purposes. Related work can be accessed at: http://www.econ.iastate.edu/tesfatsi/AMESMarketHome.htm