Arc flash study software performs the power system calculations behind an arc flash study: short circuit analysis, protective device coordination, and incident energy calculations under IEEE 1584. The three platforms that dominate the North American market are SKM PowerTools, ETAP, and EasyPower. Each one does the core analysis. Choosing between them usually comes down to what the engineer already uses.
What none of them do is collect field data. Every equipment value in the model has to come from somewhere before the software can run a calculation. That upstream data collection step is the biggest variable in the accuracy and cost of any arc flash study, regardless of which platform produces the final report.
What power system analysis software does
These platforms model an electrical system as a network of buses, branches, and equipment. The engineer enters equipment data, protective device settings, cable parameters, and utility source information. The software builds a mathematical model of the system and runs the requested analyses against it.
For an arc flash study, the sequence is:
- Build the system model from field data and one-line diagram
- Run a short circuit study to calculate available fault current at each bus
- Run a protective device coordination study to determine clearing times and verify selective coordination
- Run IEEE 1584 arc flash calculations using the fault current and clearing time results
- Generate equipment labels with incident energy, arc flash boundary, and PPE category
- Produce the final study report
The calculations themselves are standardized. IEEE 1584 defines the methodology. All three platforms implement the same 2018 equations. The differences between platforms are in interface, workflow, available analysis modules, and the file formats used for system models.
SKM PowerTools
SKM PowerTools, often called PTW (PowerTools for Windows), is the most widely used arc flash study platform among consulting engineers in North America. It has been the standard tool for industrial arc flash studies for decades. Most engineering firms offering arc flash studies as a service use SKM or have used it long enough to have existing models built in it.
SKM covers the full scope of power system analysis needed for an arc flash study: short circuit, coordination, arc flash, load flow, and motor starting. The arc flash module produces incident energy reports and generates label files. TCC plots for coordination analysis are a core output.
The interface is Windows-based and has been refined over many versions. Engineers familiar with SKM can build and run studies efficiently. The learning curve is moderate for someone coming from another platform. For clients with existing SKM models, update studies are straightforward because the model carries forward.
See the SKM PowerTools data collection guide for specifics on what field data the software needs and how to organize it for entry.
ETAP
ETAP is an enterprise-grade power system analysis platform used heavily by large utilities, petrochemical facilities, and complex industrial sites. It is more common on projects with medium-voltage or high-voltage distribution, relay protection design, generator interconnection, or international scope.
ETAP includes a broader analysis module library than SKM. Beyond arc flash and coordination, it covers transient stability, motor acceleration, protection relay coordination with device libraries, SCADA integration, and real-time power system simulation. For large utilities and industrial facilities with complex protection schemes, those additional capabilities matter.
For a standard industrial arc flash study, ETAP and SKM produce comparable outputs. The difference is the overhead: ETAP has a steeper learning curve and higher licensing cost. Engineers who use it regularly do so because their project portfolio justifies the investment. Firms that primarily do smaller industrial arc flash studies often find SKM or EasyPower more practical.
See the ETAP data collection guide for the field data requirements specific to building an ETAP system model.
EasyPower
EasyPower is the third major platform in the North American market. It is particularly common among electrical contractors who have added arc flash study capability to their service offering, and among consulting engineers in the Pacific Northwest where the software was developed.
EasyPower covers the same core analyses as SKM and ETAP: short circuit, coordination, arc flash, and load flow. Its interface is designed to be more accessible than ETAP for users who are not full-time power systems engineers. That accessibility makes it a practical choice for electrical contractors who run studies in addition to doing construction and maintenance work.
The platform includes TCC curve generation, arc flash label output, and study report generation. For most standard industrial and commercial arc flash studies, it produces the same deliverables as the other platforms.
See the EasyPower data collection guide for how to organize field data for entry into EasyPower's system model.
Platform comparison
| Feature | SKM PowerTools | ETAP | EasyPower |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary user base | North American consulting engineers, industrial facilities | Large utilities, global industrial, petrochemical | Electrical contractors, Pacific Northwest engineers |
| Learning curve | Moderate | Steep | More accessible |
| Arc flash analysis | Yes (IEEE 1584 2018) | Yes (IEEE 1584 2018) | Yes (IEEE 1584 2018) |
| Short circuit study | Yes (ANSI method) | Yes (ANSI and IEC) | Yes (ANSI method) |
| TCC coordination plots | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced modules | Load flow, motor starting, reliability | Transient stability, relay design, SCADA, real-time | Load flow, motor starting |
| Best fit | Standard industrial and commercial arc flash studies | Large utility and complex industrial projects | Contractor-led studies, commercial and light industrial |
The data problem none of them solve
Every one of these platforms requires accurate equipment data before it can produce a valid result. The IEEE 1584 arc flash calculation depends on available fault current, which depends on correct transformer impedance, cable parameters, and utility source data. The coordination study depends on accurate protective device settings. Both depend on field measurements and nameplate readings collected in the facility.
The software does not collect that data. An engineer or field technician walks the facility, reads nameplates, measures cables, and records settings. That information gets entered into the platform manually. The accuracy of the output depends entirely on the accuracy of what was entered.
Garbage in, garbage out: A $50,000 ETAP license produces wrong arc flash results if the transformer impedance entered into the model is wrong. The quality of the analysis depends on the quality of the field data, not the sophistication of the platform.
This is the problem 70Ez addresses. Instead of hand-writing nameplate data from a dirty transformer in a substation basement and then re-keying it into the power system model, field technicians photograph the equipment and the AI reads the nameplate data. The data is organized by project and exported in formats compatible with SKM PowerTools, ETAP, and EasyPower. That reduces transcription errors and speeds up the model-building phase.
See how arc flash data collection works for a walkthrough of the field-to-model process.
How the software gets its data
Power system analysis platforms accept data through several paths. Manual entry through the graphical interface is the most common. Most platforms also support import from spreadsheet templates, which allows field data to be organized in a spreadsheet and imported in bulk rather than entered one equipment record at a time.
The specific import formats vary by platform. SKM, ETAP, and EasyPower each have their own template structures. 70Ez exports field data in formats designed to work with each platform's import process, reducing the number of manual entry steps between field collection and model completion.
Download the free arc flash field data collection checklist for a complete list of data points by equipment type. The checklist covers the data needed to build a model in any of the three platforms.
Choosing a platform
For most facilities, the choice of arc flash study software is made by the engineer, not the client. The engineering firm uses what their team knows and what their existing models are built in. Asking a firm to change platforms for a single project adds cost and introduces risk of modeling errors during the transition.
If you are selecting an engineering firm and have a preference for a specific platform, ask during the proposal process. If you have existing system models from a previous study, ask whether the engineer can work with that model format to avoid rebuilding from scratch.
The platform matters less than the engineer's familiarity with it and the quality of the field data going in. A mediocre model in any platform produces mediocre results. An accurate, well-documented model produces accurate results. The field data step is where that quality is determined. See our arc flash study cost guide for more on how data availability affects total project cost.
Frequently asked questions
Which arc flash software is most widely used?
SKM PowerTools is the most widely used platform for arc flash studies among consulting engineers in North America. ETAP is more common in large utility and global industrial applications. EasyPower has a strong following among electrical contractors and in certain regional markets. All three are in active use and produce industry-accepted study outputs.
Can I request a specific software platform for my arc flash study?
You can request a specific platform, but engineering firms typically use the platform their team is trained on. Asking a firm to use an unfamiliar platform adds risk and may increase project cost. If you have an existing model from a previous study, ask engineering firms whether they can work with that model format before committing to a new study from scratch.
Is the arc flash result different between platforms?
All three platforms implement the same IEEE 1584 2018 equations. Given identical input data, the arc flash results should be the same within rounding differences. Where results differ between platforms, the cause is almost always a difference in input data, modeling assumptions, or system boundaries, not the platform calculation engine.
Do I need to provide the software to my engineering firm?
No. Engineering firms license their own software. You do not provide the platform. You provide access to the facility, equipment, and any existing documentation (one-line diagrams, panel schedules, previous study reports). The engineer brings the tools.
Can 70Ez export data into arc flash study software?
70Ez is designed to export field-collected equipment data in formats compatible with the major power system analysis platforms. The goal is to reduce manual data entry between field collection and model building. See how arc flash data collection works for a full walkthrough of the field-to-export process.