A method for transmitting power to a load comprising: operating a solid-state switching device of a power distribution network device with a controller , the solid-state switching device including a gate and structured to receive an activation signal with the gate so as to control the solid-state switching device to receive power from a power source and selectively provide power including an output current to the load ; detecting an overcurrent condition in the output current ; operating the solid-state switching device in order to determine whether the load is a capacitive load in a charging condition in response to detecting an overcurrent condition; and in response determining that the load is a capacitive load in a charging condition, operating the solid-state switching device so as to reduce the magnitude of the output current during the charging condition; wherein the act of determining the load is a capacitive load is characterised in that it includes: transmitting a series of fixed width pulses to the gate wherein the width of each pulse is determined using an estimated capacitance value of the capacitive load; or transmitting a series of pulses to the gate, determining a time delay between the start of each pulse and the start of a rise in output current for each pulse, and determining the time delay is increasing for the series of pulses; or transmitting power to the gate with an initial voltage substantially close to a gate threshold voltage effective to cause the solid-state switching device to act as a resistive device and determining a change in voltage over time of the power flowing through the solid-state switching device . operating a solid-state switching device of a power distribution network device with a controller , the solid-state switching device including a gate and structured to receive an activation signal with the gate so as to control the solid-state switching device to receive power from a power source and selectively provide power including an output current to the load ; detecting an overcurrent condition in the output current ; operating the solid-state switching device in order to determine whether the load is a capacitive load in a charging condition in response to detecting an overcurrent condition; and in response determining that the load is a capacitive load in a charging condition, operating the solid-state switching device so as to reduce the magnitude of the output current during the charging condition; wherein the act of determining the load is a capacitive load is characterised in that it includes: transmitting a series of fixed width pulses to the gate wherein the width of each pulse is determined using an estimated capacitance value of the capacitive load; or transmitting a series of pulses to the gate, determining a time delay between the start of each pulse and the start of a rise in output current for each pulse, and determining the time delay is increasing for the series of pulses; or transmitting power to the gate with an initial voltage substantially close to a gate threshold voltage effective to cause the solid-state switching device to act as a resistive device and determining a change in voltage over time of the power flowing through the solid-state switching device . transmitting a series of fixed width pulses to the gate wherein the width of each pulse is determined using an estimated capacitance value of the capacitive load; or transmitting a series of pulses to the gate, determining a time delay between the start of each pulse and the start of a rise in output current for each pulse, and determining the time delay is increasing for the series of pulses; or transmitting power to the gate with an initial voltage substantially close to a gate threshold voltage effective to cause the solid-state switching device to act as a resistive device and determining a change in voltage over time of the power flowing through the solid-state switching device . <EOS>