This IEEE Standards product is part of the Color Books family. Todays intensely competitive business environment forces plant and building management to be very aware of the total owning cost of power distribution systems. Furthermore, these managers demand assurance of maximum return on capital investments in the power system. Power system studies are used to ensure that this maximum return is achieved, and the IEEE Brown Book is a valuable source of information about the purposes of, and techniques involved in, power system studies. The IEEE Brown Book ties together the essential fundamentals of power system studies; the most common studies for design or operation of a power system; and basic computational methods, including key information on the various types of computer systems and their requirements. By combining field experience in power system engineering with computer systems, engineers can perform detailed studies on both existing and proposed power systems. The planning, design, and operation of industrial and commercial power systems require several studies to assist in the evaluation of initial and future system performance, system reliability, safety, and the ability to grow with production and/or operating requirements. The power system analyses discussed in the IEEE Brown Book can help answer many questions about an existing system, such as the impact of expansion, the stability of the system, and the load distribution of the system. Chapters are devoted to different types of studies, and also include guidance on the preparation for these studies. Some of the studies discussed are: load flow studies, short-circuit studies, stability studies, motor starting studies, harmonic analysis studies, switching transient studies, reliability studies, cable ampacity studies, ground mat studies, coordination studies, and dc auxiliary power system analyses. As a result of focusing on computer studies, the IEEE Brown Book, in conjunction with other IEEE Color