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EDWartens UK

Free course · Electrical

ETAP Power System Analysis: Load Flow, Short Circuit, Protection, Arc Flash and Stability

Free ETAP course for electrical engineers: load flow, short circuit, protection and arc flash studies. Learning is free; the certificate is optional and paid.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Intermediate
Modules
15
Video
37 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Build a single-line diagram in ETAP with correctly modelled sources, transformers, cables, motors and loads, run and interpret load flow, short-circuit, protection coordination, arc flash, motor starting, transient stability, harmonic and ground-grid studies, size cables, transformers, capacitor banks and breakers from the results, and produce the reports a consultant or utility expects.

  • Model a network in ETAP with nameplate data and run load flow
  • Size cables and transformers and use tap changers
  • Run IEC 60909 and ANSI short circuit and select breakers by device duty
  • Set and coordinate overcurrent, differential, distance and motor protection in Star view
  • Run arc flash, capacitor placement, motor starting, stability and harmonic studies
  • Design a substation earthing grid to IEEE 80

Software

ETAP (demo, student or licensed release; any recent version)

Hardware

None required.

Syllabus

15 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1ETAP, the Studies and the Interface5 lessons
  2. 2Single-Line Diagram and Component Modelling7 lessonsLab
  3. 3The PowerRibbon Interface, Shortcuts and Auto-Build5 lessons
  4. 4Load Flow Analysis16 lessons
  5. 5Cable Sizing, Transformer Sizing and Tap Changers11 lessons
  6. 6Short-Circuit Analysis (IEC 60909 and ANSI)17 lessonsLab
  7. 7Relay Setting and Overcurrent Coordination20 lessonsLab
  8. 8Differential, Distance, Busbar and Motor Protection12 lessons
  9. 9Arc Flash Analysis11 lessons
  10. 10Capacitor Banks and Power Factor Improvement5 lessonsLab
  11. 11Motor Modelling and Motor Starting17 lessons
  12. 12Transient Stability and Motor Re-acceleration19 lessons
  13. 13Harmonic Analysis and Filters9 lessons
  14. 14Earthing and Ground Grid Design6 lessons
  15. 15Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Do by hand what ETAP automates: read a single-line diagram, find a fault level, grade a relay and correct power factor.

Works alongside ETAP Power System Analysis: Load Flow, Short Circuit, Protection, Arc Flash and Stability. The Lab is substation and mcc practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
Substation and MCC: Work a real switchroom.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for ETAP Power System Analysis: Load Flow, Short Circuit, Protection, Arc Flash and Stability

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Questions

About this course

Is ETAP used in industry?
Yes, ETAP is a commercial power system analysis tool used for real design and operations work. ETAP describes its software as serving all stages of the electrical system lifecycle for utilities, infrastructure, industries and buildings, and lists sectors such as data centres, renewables, energy and chemicals, and metals and mining. The studies in this course, from load flow and short circuit to protection coordination and arc flash, are the ones those projects ask for.
Which standard is used for arc flash calculations?
Arc flash calculations are most often done to IEEE 1584-2018, the IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations. IEEE lists it as an active standard and says it covers three-phase AC equipment with nominal voltages from 208 V to 15 kV, giving the arc-flash boundary and the incident energy a worker could be exposed to. ETAP states that its arc flash module is compliant with IEEE 1584-2018 and NFPA guidelines, which is how the course's arc flash module is run.
What is IEC 60909?
IEC 60909 is the international standard for calculating short-circuit currents in three-phase AC systems. The IEC says Part 0 applies to low-voltage and high-voltage systems at 50 Hz or 60 Hz and gives a general, practical procedure for balanced and unbalanced faults; the IEC has published a 2026 edition that replaces the 2016 one. The course runs short-circuit studies in ETAP by both IEC 60909 and ANSI methods.
Do I need an ETAP licence?
The demo and student editions cover most exercises; the course teaches the method so it transfers to any release or to a licensed seat at work.
Is this a power-systems theory course?
It is applied: every study is introduced with the theory needed to set it up and read the result, then run in ETAP.
Which industries use these studies?
Utilities, EPC contractors, industrial plants, data centres, oil and gas, renewables and every consultant who signs an electrical design.
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.
What certificate do I get, and is it a vendor qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a vendor credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons?
The creators named in the Credits block at the foot of this page, on their own YouTube channels. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
How long does the course take?
Plan on about 36 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the fourteen modules at your own speed.

Power systems and electrical design

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See the whole path

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module