A new software tool for economical optimisation of low voltage networks

The author describes a software tool giving support when planning the most economical low voltage distribution network. An easy-to-use software tool has been developed in order to simplify the design of the low voltage network. Based on certain pre-conditions like cost of cables, type of cables to be used, maximum voltage drop and cost of losses, the program calculates the right cables to obtain the most economical network, i.e. the total cost of construction and losses is minimised. Further, the program can test the network on several safety requirements (like contact voltage) and it enables the user to modify the network in order to meet these requirements. As the program is to be used by people who are not familiar with computers, attention is payed to user-friendliness. The program is menu driven and can be run by using only a few keys or a mouse, which reduces the risk of making errors and makes the program user-friendly