pypsa

name

pypsa

description

Progressive-disclosure workflow for PyPSA studies. Use whenever the user wants to load or build a PyPSA network, inspect components or time series, run power flow, solve operational OPF, or run capacity-expansion / investment optimization — even when they just say "optimize the dispatch", "size the storage", "run an expansion", or hand over a netCDF/CSV network like case39.nc. Exposes network inspection and feasibility before large optimization, and operational optimization before investment. Reach for this instead of answering PyPSA questions unaided.

PyPSA workflow

Start by creating or loading a named network handle. Use network inspection before optimization, and use operational optimization before investment optimization.

Default tool ladder

1. load_network(file_path) or create_network(...) to create the active network handle.
2. get_network_info(network_name) and get_component_details(...) to understand topology, assets, and time series.
3. run_power_flow(network_name, linear=False) for feasibility checks.
4. optimize_network(network_name, ...) for dispatch or operational studies.
5. optimize_investment(network_name, ...) for expansion questions.
6. import_from_csv_folder(...) or export_to_csv_folder(...) once the network state is worth moving.

Example sequence

Using the case39.nc network shipped with this skill:

load_network("case39.nc")                        -> network "case39" active, 39 buses
get_network_info("case39")                       -> 10 generators, 46 branches, 19 loads
run_power_flow("case39", linear=False)           -> converged, max branch loading 87%
optimize_network("case39", solver_name="highs")  -> feasible dispatch, hourly cost reported

Feasibility first, then dispatch. Only move to optimize_investment once a dispatch study cannot answer the question.

Working rules

• Do not jump straight into expansion optimization when a dispatch study can answer the question.
• Use AC or DC power flow to sanity-check a network before relying on optimization outputs.
• Treat PyPSA as a planning and scheduling engine, not the final authority on detailed reactive mitigation.

Escalation triggers

Quote the numbers that tripped each row (bus + v_mag_pu, element + loading, infeasibility cause) rather than saying "it failed".

Observation	Escalate to
Bus v_mag_pu < 0.95 or > 1.05 on an AC power flow	voltage-violation-mitigation
Line or transformer loaded > 100% of s_nom	thermal-overload-mitigation
run_contingency_analysis N-1 overload or post-outage islanding	contingency-mitigation
optimize_network / optimize_investment infeasible, reserve-short, or heavily curtailed	operations-planning-mitigation
run_power_flow fails to converge	convergence-failure-mitigation

Local assets in this skill

• case39.nc — a ready test network.
• scripts/network_analysis.py — inspection.
• scripts/optimization_analysis.py — OPF result review.
• scripts/expansion_analysis.py — capacity-expansion studies.
• scripts/contingency_analysis.py — local N-1 screening outside PowerMCP.

Deliver

• The network handle and study type.
• The main feasibility or cost result.
• Whether the next step is mitigation, AC validation, or a larger optimization.