ETAP 24 — Complete Guide for Electrical Power System Engineers (2026)

What Is ETAP?

ETAP (Electrical Transient Analyzer Program) is the world’s most widely used software platform for electrical power system design, analysis, simulation, and operations. Developed by Operation Technology, Inc. (OTI) — now part of Schneider Electric — ETAP has been the industry standard for power system engineering since its founding in 1986 in Irvine, California.

More than 50,000 licenses of ETAP have been deployed globally across utilities, industrial facilities, oil and gas plants, data centers, transportation infrastructure, and engineering consultancies. It is used for everything from initial system design to real-time operational management of live power grids.

ETAP 24 (version 24.0.3) is the current major release, introducing the Electric Copilot™ AI assistant, a redesigned ribbon-based user interface, renewable energy hosting capacity analysis, active harmonic filter simulation, and expanded railway power system support.

The software operates as a digital twin of the electrical network — a live, computational model that mirrors the real system and enables engineers to simulate, optimize, and predict behavior without touching live equipment.

Who Uses ETAP?

Electrical engineers at utilities, EPCs, and industrial companies performing mandatory power system studies
Protection and relay engineers designing and coordinating protective device settings
Safety engineers conducting arc flash hazard analysis per NFPA 70E and IEEE 1584-2018
Power system planners evaluating load growth, network expansion, and renewable integration
Operations engineers using ETAP Real-Time for real-time monitoring and control of live systems
Data center engineers modeling critical power distribution systems with redundancy
Oil and gas facilities analyzing offshore platform and onshore plant electrical systems
Railway engineers designing traction power systems and substation infrastructure
Academic researchers and students studying power systems analysis

Core Analysis Modules

ETAP is organized as a modular platform — the base package includes essential tools, and specialized modules are licensed separately based on the studies required.

Load Flow Analysis

Load flow (power flow) analysis calculates the steady-state voltage, current, real power, and reactive power distribution throughout the network under specified operating conditions. It is the foundation of all power system studies.

ETAP supports multiple solution methods including Newton-Raphson, Fast Decoupled, and Accelerated Gauss-Seidel, with automatic convergence handling for difficult systems. Results are displayed as color-coded one-line diagrams showing voltage profiles, loading percentages, and power flows — allowing engineers to immediately identify overloaded cables, buses with low voltage, or inefficient power flows.

Key capabilities:

AC and DC load flow for both radial and meshed networks
Unbalanced (three-phase asymmetrical) load flow
Voltage drop calculations per IEC and ANSI standards
Load optimization and reactive power compensation studies
Multiple operating scenarios (normal, contingency, maintenance)

Short Circuit Analysis

Short circuit analysis calculates fault currents throughout the system for bolted three-phase, line-to-ground, line-to-line, and line-to-line-to-ground faults. These results determine the interrupting ratings required for protective devices (circuit breakers, fuses) and the bracing requirements for equipment like switchgear and bus ducts.

ETAP supports all major international standards:

ANSI/IEEE: C37 series standards for equipment rating and interrupting duty
IEC: IEC 60909 for short circuit current calculation
IEC 61363: For shipboard and offshore applications
Custom calculation methods for specialized applications

The short circuit module is typically one of the first studies performed on any new electrical system design to ensure all equipment is adequately rated for the worst-case fault conditions it may encounter.

Arc Flash Hazard Analysis

Arc flash analysis calculates the incident energy (cal/cm²) that a worker would be exposed to during an arcing fault event at each electrical panel and switchgear location. This determines the required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) category and is mandatory for electrical safety compliance under:

NFPA 70E — Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace (USA)
IEEE 1584-2018 — IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations
CSA Z462 — Workplace Electrical Safety (Canada)

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ETAP’s arc flash module is one of its most widely used features in industrial settings. It generates arc flash labels showing incident energy, working distance, PPE category, and flash protection boundary — labels that must be physically affixed to all electrical equipment per NFPA 70E requirements.

ETAP is notable for supporting DC arc flash analysis — a capability lacking in some competing platforms, making it essential for facilities with significant DC systems (battery rooms, photovoltaic systems, data centers).

Protective Device Coordination (TCC)

Protective device coordination ensures that during a fault, the protective device closest to the fault clears the fault first, while upstream devices remain closed (selective coordination). This minimizes the extent of the power outage and prevents nuisance tripping of upstream breakers.

ETAP’s Time-Current Curve (TCC) module provides a graphical interface for plotting and analyzing the operating characteristics of all protective devices in the system — circuit breakers, fuses, relays, reclosers — on a single log-log time-current diagram. Engineers adjust device settings until the curves are properly coordinated without overlap in the critical zones.

The TCC module includes libraries of thousands of protective device models from major manufacturers, matching exact trip curve data to the actual equipment in the system.

Motor Starting Analysis

Motor starting analysis simulates the transient voltage depression and current surge that occur when large motors are started across-the-line. Excessive voltage drop during starting can cause lights to flicker, cause other motors to stall or trip, or prevent the starting motor itself from accelerating to full speed.

ETAP simulates various motor starting methods: direct-on-line (DOL), reduced voltage starters (autotransformer, reactor, part-winding), and soft starters. The results show whether the system can support the motor starting without violating voltage limits at any bus.

Harmonic Analysis

Harmonic analysis identifies harmonic currents injected into the power system by non-linear loads (variable frequency drives, UPS systems, rectifiers, arc furnaces) and calculates the resulting voltage distortion throughout the network.

Excessive harmonic distortion causes equipment overheating, capacitor failures, metering errors, and communication interference. ETAP’s harmonic module checks compliance with IEEE 519-2014 limits and helps engineers design harmonic filters to bring distortion within acceptable levels.

ETAP 24 introduced digital twin modeling of Active Harmonic Filters (AHF) — devices that dynamically inject counter-harmonic currents to cancel distortion in real time — enabling more accurate assessment of AHF performance before installation.

Transient Stability Analysis

Transient stability analysis simulates the dynamic behavior of the power system following large disturbances — faults, sudden load changes, generator trips, or switching events. It determines whether synchronous generators maintain synchronism and the system recovers to a stable operating condition.

This study is critical for industrial plants with on-site generation, utilities planning network expansion, and microgrids where islanding and resynchronization must be carefully managed.

Reliability Analysis

ETAP’s reliability module calculates reliability indices for the electrical distribution system — SAIDI, SAIFI, CAIDI, ASAI — and quantifies the expected frequency and duration of power interruptions at each load point. This enables engineers to quantify the reliability benefit of proposed redundancy improvements (dual feeds, automatic transfer switches, UPS systems) and make cost-justified decisions.

Grounding System Analysis

The grounding analysis module calculates ground grid resistance, step and touch potentials, and ground fault current distribution for substation grounding systems per IEEE 80-2013. This ensures safe step and touch potentials for personnel during ground faults.

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Cable Ampacity and Raceway Heating

ETAP calculates cable ampacity (current carrying capacity) considering installation conditions — conduit fill, burial depth, soil thermal resistivity, ambient temperature — per NEC, IEC 60287, and other standards. The duct bank heating module handles complex multi-circuit underground duct bank configurations.

What’s New in ETAP 24

Electric Copilot™ (AI Assistant)

The headline feature of ETAP 2024 — a natural language AI interface that allows engineers to query the model, run analyses, and retrieve results using conversational text input. This reduces the need to navigate complex menus for routine tasks and makes ETAP more accessible to engineers with less software experience.

Redesigned Ribbon Interface

ETAP 24 replaces the traditional toolbar with a Microsoft Office-style ribbon interface, providing a more organized and discoverable command layout. Includes customizable quick-access buttons, personalized shortcuts, and a centralized backstage area for file and settings management.

Renewable Energy Hosting Capacity Analysis

New module for analyzing how much distributed renewable generation (solar PV, wind) a distribution network can accommodate without violating voltage and thermal limits. Critical for utilities planning distributed energy resource (DER) integration.

Active Harmonic Filter (AHF) Digital Twin

Full simulation of AHF and Power Conditioning System (PCS) devices, with automatic harmonic injection computation based on control inputs — enabling accurate pre-installation analysis of AHF effectiveness.

Railway Power System Enhancements

Expanded support for AC and DC railway traction power systems, including zone and train mean useful voltage indices per BS EN 50388-1:2022 Annex B, and improved substation and train summary reporting.

Enhanced Engineering Libraries

ETAP 24 added over 14,000 new equipment library entries, expanding the verified and validated database to 140,000+ equipment and protective device models from manufacturers worldwide.

ETAP Digital Twin and Real-Time Operations

Beyond design-phase studies, ETAP’s Power System Monitoring & Simulation (PSMS™) module enables real-time operations:

SCADA integration: Connect the ETAP model to live plant data via OPC, DNP3, Modbus, and other protocols
Real-time load flow: The model continuously updates with live measurements, always reflecting actual operating conditions
Predictive simulation: Simulate “what if” scenarios using real-time data — test switching operations before executing them on live equipment
Automatic switching sequences: ETAP can automatically calculate and execute optimal switching sequences for load transfers and fault isolation
Energy management: Track energy consumption, demand, and costs against tariff structures

This real-time capability transforms ETAP from a design tool into an operational platform used by control room operators to manage live power systems — a capability that sets it apart from purely design-focused competitors.

ETAP vs. Competing Power System Software

Feature	ETAP 24	SKM PowerTools	EasyPower	DIgSILENT PowerFactory
Load flow	✅	✅	✅	✅
Short circuit (ANSI & IEC)	✅	✅	✅	✅
Arc flash (IEEE 1584-2018)	✅	✅	✅	✅
DC arc flash	✅	✅	❌	❌
Protection coordination (TCC)	✅	✅	✅	✅
Transient stability	✅	Limited	✅	✅ Excellent
Harmonic analysis	✅	✅	✅	✅
Real-time / SCADA	✅ PSMS	❌	❌	Limited
Renewable/DER hosting	✅	❌	❌	✅
Railway traction systems	✅	❌	❌	✅
AI assistant	✅ Copilot	❌	❌	❌
BIM/Revit integration	✅	✅	✅	❌
Equipment library size	140,000+	Large	Moderate	Large
User-friendliness	✅ Best-in-class	⚠️ Steeper	✅ Good	⚠️ Complex
Pricing (approx.)	$10,000+/yr	$8,000+/yr	$9,000+/yr	Custom

1- Choose ETAP when: You need the broadest range of study types in a single platform, require real-time operational capabilities (PSMS), work on complex industrial or utility systems, or need the most user-friendly interface for less experienced engineers. ETAP is the default choice for most industrial and utility applications globally.

2- Choose SKM PowerTools when: Your organization is US-based with existing SKM workflows, cost is a primary constraint, or you primarily need arc flash and coordination studies without real-time capabilities.

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3- Choose EasyPower when: You are a smaller firm needing a cost-effective tool with a clean interface, primarily for commercial building electrical studies rather than large industrial or utility systems.

4- Choose DIgSILENT PowerFactory when: Your work involves complex transmission system studies, advanced transient stability and EMT simulation for utility-scale transmission planning, or renewable grid integration studies at the transmission level. PowerFactory is the preferred tool in European utility planning.

System Requirements

Component	Minimum	Recommended
OS	Windows 10 (64-bit)	Windows 11 (64-bit)
CPU	Intel i5 quad-core	Intel i7 / Xeon, 8+ cores
RAM	8 GB	16–32 GB
Storage	10 GB free (SSD)	50+ GB SSD
Display	1920 × 1080	Dual monitor recommended
Graphics	DirectX 11	Dedicated GPU

ETAP is Windows-only. There is no native macOS or Linux desktop client. For users requiring cross-platform access, ETAP Cloud offers browser-based access.

Frequently Asked Questions

What studies are included in the ETAP base package? The base ETAP Power Simulator package includes load flow, short circuit, cable ampacity, and one-line diagram tools. Arc flash, protection coordination, harmonics, transient stability, motor starting, reliability, and grounding are licensed as separate add-on modules. The ETAP Power Simulator bundles package multiple modules together at a lower combined price.

Does ETAP comply with international standards? Yes. ETAP supports ANSI/IEEE, IEC, BS, and other regional standards across its analysis modules. The specific standards supported vary by module — for example, the short circuit module supports ANSI C37, IEC 60909, IEC 61363, and others simultaneously, allowing engineers to calculate results per multiple standards in a single study.

How large a system can ETAP model? ETAP Power Simulator bundles now include unlimited bus counts in all tiers — a significant change from earlier versions that limited buses by license level. For very large utility systems with thousands of nodes, ETAP’s computational engine handles the size efficiently.

Is there a free trial or student version of ETAP? ETAP offers a 30-day free trial of the cloud-based demo platform with access to most analysis modules. For academic users, ETAP has an educational licensing program for universities. Contact ETAP sales for academic pricing.

Can ETAP import data from other software or CAD tools? Yes. ETAP supports data import/export with AVEVA, Autodesk (Revit), and Excel. The built-in data interoperability allows engineers to populate the ETAP model from existing CAD data rather than manually entering every equipment parameter.

What happened to ETAP after Schneider Electric acquired it? Schneider Electric acquired a controlling stake in ETAP (Operation Technology, Inc.) in 2021. ETAP continues to operate as a distinct brand and product line within Schneider Electric, maintaining its vendor-agnostic approach to equipment libraries. Development has continued with the ETAP 2024 and subsequent releases.

Summary

ETAP 24 is the most comprehensive and widely deployed electrical power system analysis platform available. Its combination of 15+ analysis modules covering the full lifecycle from design through real-time operations, a 140,000+ equipment library, international standard compliance, and the new Electric Copilot AI assistant make it the go-to tool for electrical engineers worldwide.

For industrial facilities, utilities, EPCs, and consultancies that need a single platform handling everything from arc flash labels to real-time grid management, ETAP’s breadth and depth are unmatched in the market.

For licensing assistance or technical support with ETAP, contact our team via Telegram: t.me/DoCrackMe