GLOW: A User-friendly Interface for GridLAB-D
This project will develop an open-source user environment for GridLAB-D (GLOW) to provide a more intuitive and user-friendly environment and replace command line based interface.
Hitachi America LTD
Recipient
Santa Clara, CA
Recipient Location
10th
Senate District
26th
Assembly District
$2,904,749
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
In 2022, the project team held a technical advisory committee (TAC) meeting and transited from Beta Test to GLOW Version 1.0. The TAC meeting in April provided (1) feedbacks from Beta testing period, (2) status of GLOW development, and (3) public release plan. To further assist knowledge transfer and promote GLOW program, the project team provided a tutorial “Modeling and planning of distributed energy resources in distribution system with open-source software” at IEEE GM meeting in July. The project team released GLOW Version 1.0 to the public in November 2022.
In 2023, the project team released GLOW download version to the public in March 2023. A user can download GLOW package and install it in a local machine. The project team also conducted the final TAC meeting and workshop in April 2023.
The Issue
GridLAB-D is an open-source electric system simulation tool developed by the U.S. Department of Energy. It is used by the electric power industry to support policy development and to address planning and operational needs, including simulating distributed energy resource impacts on the electric system. However, it has an antiquated user interface, which requires users to memorize command lines and build scripts in languages such as Python to enter data into the simulation tool. An intuitive interface would significantly improve the use of this powerful tool for power system simulation in California.
Project Innovation
This project is developing GridLAB-D Open Workspace (GLOW), an intuitive interface for GridLAB-D that will provide a user-friendly environment for researchers, planners, developers, and regulators involved in advanced electric grid technology simulation and scenario analysis. The interface will simplify data input and simulations, enable visualization of complex information, and be scalable for big data simulations. GLOW will be a freely available and widely supported open-source tool based on existing GridLAB-D technology.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
The technical advancement of the project is the development of an intuitive and widely available user interface for GridLAB-D, a software simulation tool for advanced distribution system simulation and analysis developed by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Consumer Appeal
Consumer appeal is achieved by developing a user interface that is intuitive and more convenient to non-expert users. This will result in GridLAB-D becoming more widely adopted due to the increased ease of use and lower level of training required to perform simulations using a simple user interface.
Affordability
Lower simulation and analysis costs will be achieved by developing a new, intuitive and convenient user interface, which will reduce the high costs of training due to the current, cumbersome and challenging interface of GridLAB-D. The improved interface will lower the barrier to widespread use.
Reliability
Greater electricity reliability is achieved by improving distribution planning through grid simulation and analysis to determine impacts of distributed energy resources and controllable loads on distribution networks and substations. The development of a user interface will increase access to simulation and analysis results for advanced power system solutions by technology developers, researchers and public agencies.
Key Project Members
Bo Yang
Panitarn Chongfuangprinya
Subrecipients
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Gridworks Organization
Maxonic, Inc.
Virtusa Corporation
Match Partners
Hitachi America LTD
National Grid
