ResDEEDS

Overview

ResDEEDS is a desktop application for designing PyPSA (Python for Power System Analysis) networks through an intuitive visual interface. Built with Electron and React Flow, it provides drag-and-drop functionality for creating power system models and exports them as PyPSA-compatible JSON or Python code.

Features

• Visual Network Design: Drag-and-drop interface for creating power system networks
• PyPSA Components: Support for buses, generators, loads, and battery storage
• Desktop Application: Native file system access with open/save functionality
• Auto-save: Automatic persistence of diagrams to local database
• Export Options: Generate PyPSA JSON structure or Python code
• Cross-platform: Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux

Installation

End Users

Download the latest release from the GitHub Releases page:

• macOS: Download the .dmg file
• Windows: Download the .exe file

Installing on macOS

Due to the app not being notarized by Apple, you may see a security warning when opening the DMG file. To install:

1. Download the .dmg file from the releases page
2. Double-click the DMG file to mount it
3. If you see a security warning, right-click on the ResDEEDS app and select "Open"
4. Click "Open" again in the confirmation dialog
5. Drag the ResDEEDS app to your Applications folder

Alternatively, you can bypass Gatekeeper by running this command in Terminal:

sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /path/to/ResDEEDS.app

Developers

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18 or higher)
• pnpm package manager

Setup

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

Development

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Start development server with hot reload
pnpm dev

# Build for production
pnpm build

# Preview production build
pnpm preview

Make Commands

For convenience, you can also use Make commands:

# Run development server
make dev

# Build the application
make build

# Run tests
make test

# Generate code coverage report
make coverage

# Run linter
make lint

# Run all checks (lint, test, coverage)
make check

# Display all available targets
make help

Building for Distribution

# Build for all platforms
pnpm dist

# Platform-specific builds
pnpm dist:mac     # macOS
pnpm dist:win     # Windows
pnpm dist:linux   # Linux

Initiate a Release

git tag -a <version number> -m "Release version <version number>"

git push origin <version number>

Usage

Creating a Network

1. Launch the Application: Start ResDEEDS Flow from your applications folder
2. Add Components: Drag components from the palette on the left:
   • Bus: Connection points (voltage level, carrier type)
   • Generator: Power generation units (capacity, cost, carrier)
   • Load: Power consumption points (active/reactive power)
   • Battery: Energy storage units (capacity, efficiency, duration)
3. Connect Components: Draw edges between components to create network topology
4. Edit Properties: Double-click any component to modify its parameters
5. Save Your Work: Use File → Save (Cmd/Ctrl+S) to save as .rsd file

Exporting Networks

• File → Export as PyPSA JSON: Creates a JSON file compatible with PyPSA
• File → Export as Python Code: Generates Python code to recreate the network

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Cmd/Ctrl + N: New diagram
• Cmd/Ctrl + O: Open diagram
• Cmd/Ctrl + S: Save diagram
• Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + S: Save as...
• Delete/Backspace: Delete selected elements

Project Structure

├── src/
│   ├── main/               # Electron main process
│   │   └── index.js       # Window management, menu, IPC handlers
│   ├── preload/           # Preload scripts
│   │   └── index.js       # Secure context bridge
│   └── renderer/          # React application
│       └── src/
│           ├── App.tsx              # Main application component
│           ├── components/          
│           │   ├── DiagramEditor.tsx    # React Flow canvas
│           │   ├── ComponentPalette.tsx # Draggable components
│           │   ├── modals/
│           │   │   └── PropertyEditModal.tsx # Component property editor
│           │   ├── edges/
│           │   │   └── AnimatedEdge.tsx     # Custom edge animations
│           │   └── nodes/              # Custom PyPSA nodes
│           │       ├── BusNode.tsx
│           │       ├── GeneratorNode.tsx
│           │       ├── LoadNode.tsx
│           │       └── BatteryNode.tsx
│           ├── data/
│           │   └── defaultDiagram.ts   # Default network template
│           ├── types/
│           │   ├── index.ts           # TypeScript type definitions
│           │   └── electron.ts        # Electron API types
│           └── utils/
│               ├── diagram-storage.js  # File & database operations
│               └── pypsa-exporter.js   # Export functionality
├── electron-builder.yml    # Distribution configuration
├── electron.vite.config.ts # Build configuration
└── package.json            # Dependencies and scripts

Technical Details

Technologies

• Frontend: React 19 + TypeScript + React Flow (@xyflow/react)
• Desktop: Electron 37
• Build Tool: electron-vite + Vite
• Package Manager: pnpm

Data Persistence

• Auto-save Database: Diagrams automatically saved to resdeeds-db.json in user data directory
• File Format: Custom .rsd format for diagram files
• Export Formats: PyPSA JSON and Python code generation

Component Properties

Bus Node

• v_nom: Nominal voltage level (kV)
• carrier: Energy carrier type (AC, DC, etc.)

Generator Node

• bus: Connected bus ID
• p_nom: Nominal power capacity (MW)
• carrier: Energy source (solar, wind, gas, etc.)
• marginal_cost: Operating cost (€/MWh)

Load Node

• bus: Connected bus ID
• p_set: Active power demand (MW)
• q_set: Reactive power demand (MVar)

Battery Node

• bus: Connected bus ID
• p_nom: Power capacity (MW)
• max_hours: Storage duration (hours)
• efficiency: Round-trip efficiency (0-1)

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

ISC License - see LICENSE file for details

Authors

• Idaho National Laboratory (INL)