Distribution automation with GridLAB-D
Amelia Chaves Moreno1 and Paul Ulices Valencia Ordóñez2
Master’s Degree in Electric Energy Systems
University of Seville
March 2020
Abstract— Distribution networks (DN) live in a continuous
evolution, they have gone from being unidirectional passive
networks to being networks with bidirectional flow whose
operation is now active. Distributed generation is joined by
other elements such as storage, electric vehicles and demand
management, which will further revolutionize the current distri-
bution network scheme. In view of this constant evolution, it is
necessary to have software capable of integrating the complexity
of active distribution networks. It is a tool for the simulation and
analysis of energy distribution systems that provides valuable
information and allows to take advantage of the latest energy
technologies.
I. INTRODUCTION
Historically, distribution networks have been passive net-
works with unidirectional power flow, unlike transmission
networks which were real-time, highly optimised and flowed
in two directions. One of the main consequences of this
difference was that losses in distribution networks were
higher than in higher voltage ones. In conventional passive
networks, the most approached control has been that of
voltages, and the methods used to be capacitor banks, trans-
formers with on-load tap changers and voltage regulators,
normally used in long rural lines.
Fig. 1. Current DN [1]
Nowadays, distribution networks have evolved essentially
due to the presence of active resources in the network and
to the technological evolution that has meant a reduction
in costs. The main distributed resource which has led to this
evolution is distributed renewable generation, which involves
a two-way flow in the distribution networks as well as other
1 A. Chaves is Industrial Engineer by Seville University
2 P. Valencia is Electrical Engineer by Equinoctial Technology University
new control and operation paradigms, such as reactive power
management, excess generation during low demand hours,
etc. (Figure 1)
However, the great technological development experienced
by the electronic power inverters installed in controllable
distributed generation sources and the great development of
communication infrastructures have allowed and encouraged
the development of new control concepts and tools that allow
for intelligent or active management of the electrical distri-
bution networks. Distributed generation is being followed
by other elements, such as electric vehicles, storage and
demand management, which also influence the operation
of distribution networks and will help to optimize their
management.
Fig. 2. Future DN [1]
The evolution of the electricity system as a result of
the integration of new elements such as demand response,
energy storage, electric vehicles, and a new generation of
distribution automation systems require very advanced power
system modeling tools which have to allow the integration
control models, battery storage technology models, vehicle
charging system models, market simulators, and detailed
power system control models. In short, they must have
the capability of integrating all the active distribution net’s
features.
Some examples of traditional distribution tools are Syn-
erGEE [2], Milsoft [3] and Cymdist [4]. All of them were
designed using conventional models that depend on homo-
geneous descriptions of the electromechanical behavior of
the electric power system, either using small timescales
(electromagnetic transient solution) or without timescales
(steady-state power flow solution)[5]. This means that none
works at intermediate timescales, ignoring many important
phenomena.
On the other hand, traditional simulation tools have been
developed independently and each treated the others as a
quasi-static boundary condition, neglecting potentially im-
portant coupling effects[5]. This fact limits their effectiveness
in evaluating technologies’ impact.
In this context, GridLAB-D comes to life. It is a time-
series power distribution system simulation and analysis
tool developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in
collaboration with Industry and Academia. Its purpose is
solving the ineffective modeling and evaluation of smart grid
technologies [6].
GridLAB-D is an agent-based flexible simulation environ-
ment that can be integrated with third-party data management
and analysis tools, and that provides an unprecedented capa-
bility to model the performance of smart grid technologies.
Furthermore, it is an open-source simulator that allows new
models and classes to be developed by users. At its core
(Figure 3), GridLAB-D has an advanced algorithm that can
determine the simultaneous state of millions of independent
devices, each of which is described by multiple differential
equations solved only locally for both state and time [7].
Based on the architecture of GridLAB-D, the transmission
power flow solution technique implements the Gauss-Seidel
method, while the distribution power flow technique is imple-
mented with the forward and backward sweep (FBS) method.
GridLAB-D finds quasi-steady state time series solutions
that, when put together, approximate the time-varying, non-
dynamic solution[8].
Fig. 3. GriLAB-D Core [7]
Therefore, the advantages of this algorithm over traditional
finite difference-based simulators are [7]:
1. It is much more accurate
2. It can handle widely disparate time scales, ranging from
sub-seconds to many years
3. It is very easy to integrate with new modules and third-
party systems
The rest of this document is organized as follows. Section
II describes different possible applications of GridLAB-D.
Section III presents application cases within the automation
of distribution networks. The installation of the software is
detailed in Section IV to continue with the basics of program-
ming in Section V. An example of the use of GridLAB-D
is developed in Section VI. Lastly, the final conclusions are
given in Section IV.
II. MAIN FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS
The first public open-source release of the GridLAB-D [6]
occurred in April 2008 and since then, the software has been
improved and new capabilities have been added to allow the
examination of the detailed interplay between all elements
of a distribution system, from the substation to end-use load.
Among its main capabilities are [7]:
• 3-phase, unbalanced meshed power systems and unbal-
anced radial power systems
• End-use load behavior of thousands to millions of
homes and appliances
• Retail level markets and transactive controls
• Distributed generation and storage
• Demand response and direct load control
• Distribution automation controls
• Micro-grid capabilities
• Advanced control and optimization algorithms and in-
terfaces
• Development of combined heat and power (CHP) mod-
els, to capture the effects of waste heat and offsetting
heating requirements in buildings
• A more advanced application programming interface
(API) for interfacing with third-party tools
• Co-simulation with a commercial grade transmission
tool
• An advanced high-performance computing engine
• Co-simulation with an open-source telecommunication
simulator
• Internationalization, including time zone and unit sup-
port and 50 Hz, low-voltage systems
All these capabilities have enabled the study of a wide
range of smart grid problems such as conservation voltage
reduction, micro-grid control, distributed resource control,
smart grid technology readiness evaluation, distributed en-
ergy resource integration, reduced-order model development,
appliance control strategies, generation intermittence impacts
on distribution systems, photovoltaic integration impacts,
large-scale integration of wind power, smart grid cost-benefit
analysis, and transmission-distribution system model inte-
gration. Having regard to the above, broadly the uses of
GridLab-D could be grouped as follows[7]:
• Distribution Automation Design/Evaluation: design and
analysis of distribution net automation technologies,
such as volt-var optimization, devices coordination and
automation, feeder reconfiguration and fault detection,
identification and restoration.
 • Peak Load Management: it allows the modeling of con-
sumer behavior in order to understand and optimize the
interaction between different peak-shaving strategies,
incorporating mechanisms such as transactive controls,
centralized control, and distributed solutions.
• Distributed Generation and Storage: GridLAB-D allows
exploring the effects of photovoltaic and inverter pen-
etration on a traditionally operated system, including
the effects on overloading, voltage control, and losses
across a variety of weather patterns. Moreover, it allows
the evaluation of the cost/benefit trade-off between
infrastructure expansion investments and distributed re-
source investments by including other economic bene-
fits such as increased wholesale purchasing elasticity,
improved reliability metrics, and the opportunity to sell
ancillary services products in wholesale markets.
• Rate Structure Analysis: there are multiple energy prod-
ucts based on different rate structures which could be
contracted by a consumer. Because of them, there is
the opportunity to positively vary demand elasticity
and give utilities the ability to balance supplier market
power in the wholesale markets. GridLAB-D provides
the ability to accommodate multiple rate offerings (in-
cluding fixed rates, demand rates, time-of-day rates, and
real-time rates) to determine whether a suite of rate
offerings is likely to succeed, allowing to design rate
structures that are both cost-effective to utilities and
attractive to consumers.
Apart from the possible applications developed, the following
are real case studies and applications of GridLAB-D:
• Wind Turbines [9]: Thanks to the modular simulation
environment of GridLAB-D, there is no need to modify
other existing modules, being possible to create new
modules to represent the generators. A prototype WTG
has two important units: the rotor and the electric power
generator. On the one hand, the mechanical power
model uses meteorological data supplied by the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the Typical
Meteorological Year format (TMY2) to provide input
data for individual WTGs. In GridLAB-D, meteorolog-
ical data can be imported into individual modules and
used to simulate a time series solution with steady state
steps.
On the other hand, the conversion of mechanical power
supplied by the wind to electrical power could be
through a synchronous or induction generator. Two of
the most popular are Permanent magnet synchronous
generators (PMSGs) and doubly-fed induction genera-
tors (DFIGs). Both could be modeled using a balanced
Y-configuration.
In addition to developing the prototype WTG, control
and power electronics could be developed too with
GridLAB-D.
• Residential Micro-grid with Electric Vehi-
cles[10][11][12][14]: to model a micro-grid, the
most common is using the state-of-the-art distribution
grid power system modeling tool GridLAB-D. This
tool allows the simulation and exploration of various
dynamic properties of the distribution power grid, being
able to analyze them without the need of physical
prototypes.
The residential module implements the following
end-uses to simulate the power demand in a
home: water heater, lights, ranges, dishwasher,
microwave, refrigerator, plug loads and heating/cooling
loads (Conduction through exterior walls, roof and
fenestration, air infiltration, solar radiation and internal
gains from lighting, people, equipment). It is possible to
characterize many different types of houses, therefore
the micro-grid can be very true to reality. The electric
vehicle (EV) models and the electric vehicle supply
equipment (EVSE) model can be developed as a
GridLAB-D class, which will be treated as another
micro-grid object. It could be possible to consider
different penetration rates of EV. Even the EVSE could
get some information from the EV model such as time
of the next trip, distance of the next trip, the mileage
classification, and the battery size.
• Demand Response [14][15]: as stated above, energy
market can be modeled by GridLAB-D. Its features
make it possible to analyze various market strategies
and assess their effect on the operation of grid and end-
use devices and energy market itself.
On the other side, the physical model of residential-end-
use devices can also be implemented. Specifically, the
end-user devices use the equivalent thermal parameter
(ETP) model to calculate indoor air temperature as a
function of climate data. Moreover, it includes distri-
bution automation control models which utilize price
signal as a means to control end use devices.
Therefore, these tools allow to estimate the market
based DR potential in residential sector by using
GridLAB-D.
III. APPLICATIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION
AUTOMATION
In the electrical energy value chain, distribution, as the fi-
nal element, establishes the quality requirements of demand.
Thus, it is necessary that electrical distribution systems are
robust, reliable and efficient in energy management. To
achieve the objectives in this matter, a correct automation
of the distribution networks is necessary. Therefore, new
devices are being integrated into the distribution networks
that enable real-time control and improve their performance.
The complexity of the control of each system depends on
the topology and size of the network, as well as the control
devices used.
There are four main distribution automation
techniques[16]. The first would include fault detection,
location and restoration. The detection is in charge of
spotting, by means of the triggered protections, that a fault
exists. Localization determines in which part of the system
the fault has occurred so it can be solved in shorter times,
reducing its impact on the system. Finally, the system would
be restored in the corresponding section.
The second is called adaptive protection. By means of
using intelligent relays, it can identify when a generation
element goes out of operation, then varying the short-
circuit currents of the system and accommodating the new
protection curves for the new system in operation.
The third is network reconfiguration, responsible for open-
ing or closing network segments in order to optimize their
operation in case of disturbances.
The last one corresponds to the Volt/Var control of
the network. This control seeks to change the operating
conditions of voltage regulators and capacitor banks so that
the system has less electrical losses.
It can be concluded that these techniques are based on con-
ventional techniques. Currently, technological development
allows the introduction of new techniques that help to im-
prove the operation of distribution networks. Therefore, after
having discussed general application cases of GridLAB-D,
two uses for automation techniques will now be studied: one
conventional, volt/var control, and the other more innovative,
the restoration of the distribution network with micro-grids.
A. Volt/Var Control
The first part of Volt/Var Control (VVC) or Volt/Var
Optimization (VVO) is the Conservation Voltage Reduction
(CVR) effect, which is based on the fact that most electrical
loads will consume less energy when the voltage is reduced.
In view of this fact, there are voltage standards that have to
be maintained [17][18].
This control allows to reduce the average voltage that
each customer receives while maintaining the quality of
service to end customers. The second part of VVC is the
optimization of VAR. Capacitors are installed in shunts to
address voltage problems and to minimize reactive power
flows in distribution feeders. The initial operation of the
capacitors was manual, but the benefits of coordination are
lost over time due to changes in infrastructure and changing
load patterns. That’s why communication infrastructures in
Volt/Var control are so important. They allow the coordina-
tion of the operation of shunt capacitors to reduce reactive
loads on a distribution feeder or in a substation.
Both have always been treated together because it has been
demonstrated that they are interrelated, and working with
schemes that integrate the two controls gives better results
than treating them independently.
The volt/var control coordinates the voltage regulating
devices and switched capacitor banks in order to minimize
the delay in kVAR and control the distribution voltage level.
Utilities may have different objectives such as peak demand
reduction, implementing VVC, minimizing distribution sys-
tem losses or increasing load, although not all loads can
lower power consumption due to lower voltage.
GridLAB-D allows the user to simulate different scenarios
in order to compare energy savings in different VVC inte-
gration cases. In order to properly estimate the impact of the
VVC, it is necessary to define accurate end-use load models.
Therefore, in the case of this type of studies, combined loads
consisting of a constant impedance (Z), a constant current
(I) and a constant power (P) whose power consumption
is proportional to the voltage, are normally used. Thus, in
GridLAB-D the ZIP load model and the thermal equivalent
parameter would be implemented[19].
The advantage of the multi-agent architecture over tradi-
tional ones is that it is not necessary to integrate all behaviors
in a single set of equations. The ability to implement different
types of equations is necessary in a VVO simulation due
to the interactions between the power system, the controller,
and the load systems of residential and commercial buildings.
Proper representation of the system results in accurate VVO
simulations.
Lastly, GridLAB-D provides a module of the volt/var
controller and it is based on the Integrated Volt/Var Con-
troller (IVVC). It is common for the controller provided by
GridLAB-D to be modified in order to implement the exact
control scheme desired, so that the results will be closer to
reality.
1) Volt/Var Control With Demand Response: As said, the
new systems of demand management, storage, etc. will help
to improve the operation of the distribution networks. In this
case it will be presented how demand management can be
integrated with a VVC [20].
As already mentioned, demand response consists of man-
aging loads in an efficient manner allowing the consumer
to obtain economic benefits. It also benefits the system
by allowing demand to be reduced during peak hours or
emergencies, but it could help even more if load firing were
linked to volt/var control of the distribution network.
Thus, GridLAB-D allows to study the benefits of inte-
grating demand response with volt/var control in distribu-
tion networks. Note that one could also use GridSpice, a
web-based simulation tool that uses a modified version of
GridLAB-D and that is also open source. This platform
allows studying the interaction of energy flows and energy
markets in distribution and transmission networks.
This control scheme is a bit advanced, therefore modifi-
cations of the GridLAB-D modules are necessary to be able
to integrate both controls. In addition, the loads can also
be modified to optimize their use when using this type of
control. This reflects that the fact of being an open source
software is one of the great benefits of GridLAB-D.
B. Distribution System Restoration With Micro-grids
Distribution System Restoration (DSR) aims to quickly
restore as much load as possible to areas where electrical
service has been disrupted. The micro-grid concept en-
compasses self-sufficient energy systems with distributed
energy resources (DER), therefore a micro-grid can operate 1. Access the GridLAB-D website through the link men-
in an isolated mode at system separation. Thus, when a tioned in the previous paragraph, then click on downloads.
network outage occurs, micro-grids can be controlled to (Figure 4)
provide an efficient DSR strategy to reduce the distribution
system restoration time. The adoption of advanced metering,
communication and automatic control infrastructures in the
distribution system is essential for the development of these
systems [21].
DSR is a multi-target, non-linear, combinatorial optimiza-
tion problem with many limitations, including topological
and operational ones. The large number of components in a
distribution system increases the complexity of the problem,
so a fully decentralized multi-agent system implemented
in GridLAB-D is a good option for analyzing the system
behavior.
A distribution network can be modeled as a graph that
Fig. 4. Step 1
consists of a set of vertices and edges. Therefore, the DSR
can be formulated as a problem of optimization of the
desired graph topology subject to several constraints. It also 2. In the download window, select the operating system
provides a feasible switching sequence that leads to the installed on your computer and left click on the word
final system topology. Micro-networks are modeled as virtual download which is highlighted in blue. It should be noted
feeds. The island configuration of the micro-grid can be that once the action has been carried out, the download
modeled as a supplementary constraint on the distribution of the GRIDLAB-D program will start, for which the
system topology. The proposed graph-theoretic distribution location of the downloaded executable file must be taken
restoration algorithm is based on spanning tree search. into account. (Figure 5)
Therefore the scheme is reduced to implementing in
GridLAB-D a distribution network with the features de-
scribed above.

IV. INSTALLATION
GridLAB-D is distributed without a user interface, it runs
in console mode. The user has the possibility to develop
his own user interface with the Graphical User Interface
(GUI) API provided by the developers. In addition, the
programming language is unique to GridLAB-D and presents
a working environment based on importing and uploading
files from the console. A GUI developed in Matlab will be Fig. 5. Step 2
discussed at the end of this section.

A. Installation guide 3. Once the file is located, double-click on the icon and
This guide presents the installation process of the follow the instructions below, granting permission to
GridLab-D program directly from the official website, via install it. (From Figure 6 to Figure 14)
a link: http://www.gridlabd.org/. It includes a structured
process for correct download and installation. It is important
to pay attention to the details and complements of the
installation since they are indispensable for its optimal
operation. The installation of GridLab-D required some
complements, which by default are in the collection of
Anaconda packages for Python, which were already in the
computer. However, the installation guide does not take
into account the previous installation of other programs,
therefore the user must skip some steps assigned to these
specific add-ons such as MinGW or others previously
installed by Anaconda on their computer.

Installation steps can be found hereunder:

Fig. 6. Step 3.1
Fig. 7. Step 3.2 Fig. 11. Step 3.6

Fig. 12. Step 3.7

Fig. 8. Step 3.3

Fig. 13. Step 3.8

Fig. 9. Step 3.4

Fig. 14. Step 3.9

4. Once the installation is finished, we proceed to look for

Fig. 10. Step 3.5 the GridLab-D icon to run the program. (Figure 15)

Fig. 15. Step 4
B. Other resources
1) GridMat. A Graphical User Interface: GridMat is
a Matlab toolbox that integrates the capabilities of the
GridLAB-D system-specific domain modeling and simula-
tion tools and control using Matlab (Figure 16). GridMat can
be used to facilitate control engineers to develop advanced
algorithms and hierarchical control in residential cases [22].
The GridMat tool supports the creation of user-friendly
models, robust debugging and intelligent network impact
analysis utilities. It allows the modeling, simulation, grid
impact analysis and validation of the energy and control
systems of a residential micro-grid.
GridMat is available at the following website
https://sourceforge.net/projects/gridmat/
Fig. 16. GridMat [22]
2) Bus.py. A Flexible Communication Interface: Bus.py is
a communication interface that uses Python to pass messages
between GridLAB-D and an Intelligent Network simulator
[23].
Bus.py is useful in Smart Grid co-simulation studies. It
allows the dynamic simulation of multiple network use cases
without relying on a cloud infrastructure, it can be enabled
by many platforms such as a personal computer or a high
performance computer. Bus.py has a flexible and easy to
use interface. It has four main functions: load bus, start bus,
transaction, and stop bus.
Busy-py is available at the following website
https://github.com/NREL/buspy
3) GridSpice.Virtual Platform based in GridLAB-D:
GridSpice is an open source cloud-based simulation package
for the smart grid and incorporates the code of MATPOWER
and GridLAB-D. It is the first distribution simulator that con-
siders volt/speed control, demand response and distribution
automation in a single simulation [20].
GridSpice models the interactions between all parts of the
power grid, including generation, transmission, distribution,
storage and loads as well as the power markets
GridSpice uses the unmodified agent-based solution pro-
vided in the Gridlab-D. Some elements are taken directly
from GridLAB-D without modification, such as Newton
Rapshon’s energy flow resolution method, but include mod-
ifications to the volt/var and load controls to give greater
versatility to possible applications.
More information on this platform can be found
at https://tomkat.stanford.edu/research/gridspice-virtual-
platform-modeling-analysis-and-optimization-smart-grid
V. PROGRAMMING
The GridLabd-D programming model is essentially com-
posed of a GLM-type file, which is a text file that can be
edited with any text editor. The GLM files (GridLAB-D
models) are the simulation guides that define the structure
of the model, in these the initial conditions and system
boundaries are defined, directing the inputs and outputs of
simulated data [6].
The programming logic is composed of 6 basic structures.
• Modules: defines one or more classes. It must be loaded
into the program before any classes associated with
them, either used or modified in the program.
• Classes: can be created by the user within any desired
module, as long as every behavior is supported by
GridLAB-D. For a class to be defined, behaviors in this
case are defined as C ++ language code. Many classes
are already defined in GridLAB-D and are available for
use.
• Objects: are class instances (individual instances or
population of instances). They can have a parent-child
relationship between objects, where the child objects
depend on the parents and the parents instead add
information to the children.
• Players: whose function is to change a particular object
as a function of time. They are used to change boundary
conditions and can be implemented in loops.
• Recorders: are objects whose function is to extract
simulation results. They operate as data collectors that
can be activated at a certain point in the program, at a
specified simulation time or when a specific condition
(created by the developer) is reached
• Loadshape and Schedules: It operates in a similar way
to the Players. They do not act directly on the file, but
on the core of the application. Both update recurring
information at runtime.
Being an object based programming language that is
related to time, all objects (lines, transformers, nodes, capac-
itors, etc) have to be tuned to the GridLab-D clock (Figure
17). This clock acts as a metronome keeping the whole
system tuned in order to converge into one possible solution
at each step of a simulation, until the final solution is reached.
The objects are built around the concept of object-oriented
programming, therefore they provide a great deal of modular-
ity (Figure 18). There are two types of objects: direct objects,
which are the physical elements present in the simulation or

Fig. 17. Anatomy of GridLAB-D model
in the circuit to be simulated (feeder, load, node); support
objects, which are the configurations of the direct objects. It
must be taken into account that direct and support objects
are closely related.
Fig. 18. Most basic building block
When there are lines, transformers and loads, there can
be a so-called parent-child relationship, which means that
one object inherits the properties of the other. For example,
objects like a load meter are the parent of a feeder object, so
if there is a load to feed, then there is a load meter elsewhere;
thus a child object cannot exist without a parent object. In
addition, there is a third type of relationship that is more
individual to each parent or child, and corresponds to the
configuration needed for each of them. (Figure 19)
Fig. 19. Relationship between objects
One of the most important and essential modules is the
power flow module. Following, the characteristics of two
of its objects are showed (the rest of the objects in other
modules have similar structure):
• Nodes: Fundamental objects such as nodes in a network
have to be described in order to have a name, bustype,
phases, nominal voltage. It should be noted that the
nominal voltage does not refer to the actual voltage of
the node, but to an initial value that the power flow
needs to start performing its work (Figure 20) . There
are also subclasses of nodes which have additional
capabilities such as fields for billing information, total
monthly power consumption and so on.
Fig. 20. Nodes
• Lines: For the lines object it is indispensable to know
the spacing between lines, conductor gauge or section,
the impedance of the line, etc. (Figure 21)
Fig. 21. Lines
Figure 22 shows an example of a distribution network with
GRIDLAB-D configurations.
Fig. 22. Distribution system example
Finally, the execution of the program will be discussed. To
run the program, the command line must point to the file to
be executed, the GridLAB-D command must be preceded by
the name of the file to be executed at the command prompt,
which is the GridLAB-D interface. The program will be
executed in the order shown in the file. By default the data
output is saved in the same location as the execution file.
In general, data input per file into GridLAB-D can be
done in two formats: (.glm) (GridLAB-D Model) and (.xml)
(Language Extensible Markup). The first format represents
the type of file that includes general programming data
(modules, object structures, etc.), while (.xml) is used to
represent file instances (.glm) and exchange data with other
software systems There is not a specific tool to edit GLM
files, although the development group plans the creation of
the editor GldEditor. For the moment, a simple text editor
can be used to create or edit files (.glm). For data output,
the most used method is the application of collection and
recorders objects, which are objects that generate time series
of certain values of each module.
VI. EXAMPLE
An example of a network will be developed in GridLAB-
D, in order to see how the programming is done and how
the results are shown.
 The aim of the example is to determine the status of the
transformer and the lines of a distribution network. It consists
of a three-phase transformer, a load and 3 nodes. For this
purpose, the configuration data of the transformer and the
load are known. Additionally, the spacing between nodes,
between conductors, the ratio r/x of the conductors and the
geometric radius of the conductors are known. The diagram
of the network to be studied is shown in Figure 23.

Fig. 24. Part 1 of programming

Fig. 23. Distribution system data

4. Create the relationship between the physical objects

present in the exercise and the configurations described
in the previous step. (Figure 25)
Therefore, the first of all the main steps to follow in the
programming will be detailed, and finally the data obtained
will be shown.

A. Programming of example

1. Run any text editor (Wordpad), to create the GLM file.

2. The header is placed, with the information relevant for
the example.
3. The programming of the code must follow the following
steps, or at least include all the information that they
include (Figure 24): Fig. 25. Part 2 of programming
3.1. Step 1. Set the Clock. It is very important to define
the correct time zone.
3.2. Step 2. Declare the modules to be used for the
simulation
3.3. Step 3. Declare the properties of the physical ele- 5. Configure the three nodes and define how the elements
ments present in the example. (Figure 24) are joined. (Figure 26)
 Fig. 28. Part 1 to show the results

2. Inside the defined directory write the command gridlabd

followed by the name of the file to be executed with its
respective extension (.GLM), followed by the command
–profile. (Figure 29)
Fig. 26. Part 3 of programming

6. Define the load properties. The load can be mentioned

throughout the code, even if it is defined later. (Figure
27)

Fig. 29. Part 2 to show the results

3. Once the previous step has been executed, the results

of the interactions of each of the objects and the time
it takes for the program to converge on a solution and
determine what the real state of the distribution network
is are shown. (Figure 30 and Figure 31)

Fig. 27. Part 4 of programming

B. Results

1. After opening the GridLAB-D command console, the cd

command is executed and the path of the GLM file is
pasted. It should be noted that the cd command allows
you to change the directory or folder address where the
GLM file you want to run is located. (Figure 28) Fig. 30. Part 3 to show the results

Fig. 31. Part 4 to show the results
VII. CONCLUSIONS
1. GridLAB-D is a versatile tool with great potential, cover-
ing all new elements of active distribution networks, such
as everything related to micro-grids.
2. As there is no user interface that encompasses all its
utilities, it is very unintuitive. Therefore, the learning
curve of the tool is very slow.
3. Most of the information available on how to program
is about the power flow module. There is a lack of
information on how more complex modules work, such
as volt/var control or electric market modules.
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