GridLAB-D
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
GridLAB-D is a power-distribution system simulator developed at the US DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Beyond three-phase distribution power flow, it simulates end-use behaviour over time: buildings and HVAC, water heaters, solar PV, batteries and electric vehicles, plus dynamic pricing and control schemes. This makes it useful for studying distributed-generation hosting, demand response and smart-grid scenarios. Suited to electrical engineers, distribution utilities and grid researchers. Limitations: there is no graphical interface, and models are written as GLM text files; the learning curve is steep; the latest official release (5.3.0) dates from January 2024.
Ratings & Reviews
| Licence type | Completely Free, Open Source |
|---|---|
| Licence terms | Open source under Battelle’s BSD-style GridLAB-D licence. Free to use, modify and redistribute for any purpose including commercial work, with no time limit. |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Engineering field | Electrical & Electronics |
| Tool type | Simulation & FEA |
| Vendor site | github.com |
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Last verified: 2026-10-06
