Creating a Problem

Minpower solves problems that are defined in spreadsheets. The most basic ED problem only has two files: generators.csv and loads.csv. If you are solving an UC then you need to define the initial conditions for your generation in initial.csv. Scheduled or predicted energy amounts (e.g. predicted wind farm output or predicted load demand) over a series of times can be specified in a file defined by the schedule file name column of the component. If you are solving an OPF, then you also need to define your transmission lines in lines.csv.

The following tables give details on how to describe each component using spreadsheet columns. (Column order does not matter. Capitalization and spaces are ignored in the header row.) Examples spreadsheets are given after each table.

Generators

Column Name	Description	Default	Units
name	generator name
Power min		0	MW
Power max		500	MW
Cost curve equation	fuel cost polynomial		$/MWh
Heat rate equation	heat rate polynomial		MMBtu/MWh
Fuel cost		1	$/MMBtu
Start up cost		0	$
Shut down cost		0	$
Ramp rate min			MW/h
Ramp rate max			MW/h
Must run	gen. status must remain ON	0
Schedule filename	filename of spreadsheet describing gen. schedule
Bus	name of bus where gen. is connected	single bus

"name";"Pmin";"Pmax";"heat rate equation";"fuel cost";"start up cost";"min up time";"min down time"
"g1";50;200;"220+9.9P";1.4;560;8;8
"g2";15;60;"80+10.1P";1.4;210;8;8
"g3";15;50;"60+10.8P";1.4;147;4;4
"g4";5;40;"40+11.9P";1.4;0;4;4
"g5";5;25;"34+12.14P";1.4;0;4;4

Initial Conditions

Column Name	Description	Default	Units
name	generator name
power	output at initial time	(Pmax-Pmin)/2	MW
status	status (1 or 0) at initial time	1
hours in status		100	hrs

"name","power","status","hours in status"
g1,250,1,4
g2,0,0,8
g3,0,0,8
g4,0,0,8
g5,0,0,8

Loads

Column Name	Description	Default	Units
name	load name
power	load power (a single number for ED problems or base load)		MW
schedule filename	spreadsheet filename describing the predicted load power over time
Bus	name of bus where load is connected	single bus

name,schedulefilename
Ireland,ireland_load_fewdays.csv

Lines

Column Name	Description	Default	Units
name	line name
to	name of bus where line originates
from	name of bus where line terminates
reactance	total electrical reactance of line	0.05	p.u.
P max	maximum power limit of line		MW

From,    To,      Pmax
Seattle, Tacoma,  3
Olympia, Tacoma,  10000
Olympia, Seattle, 10000

Schedules

Column Name	Description	Default	Units
time	time and date (if applicable) for the start of the period
power	energy scheduled (or predicted) for the period		MWh

time,power
0:00,250
2:00,320
4:00,110
6:00,75