Researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) and the University of Almería (UAL) have developed an algorithm that improves electricity management in smart grids, facilitates the use of renewable energy, and helps prevent blackouts.
The blackout that affected the Iberian Peninsula on April 28, 2025 highlighted the importance of more efficient grids. The new algorithm allows the compensation of so-called reactive current, a portion of electricity that does not perform useful work and can cause energy losses and quality issues.
The team includes Xabier Prado (USC), Francisco Gil Montoya and Jorge Ventura (UAL), and Jorge Mira, researcher at the USC Materials Institute (iMATUS). Details of this new algorithm are presented in the article ‘Optimal reactive current compensation for smart grids using linear programming: A novel algorithm with theoretical and real-world data validation’, recently published in Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks. The algorithm was validated with real data from industrial installations, demonstrating its practical applicability and its ability to integrate into existing control systems, making the grid more reliable and efficient.
This research, currently in the process of patenting, contributes to improving the quality of the electrical system, reducing costs for distributors and operators, and facilitating the integration of distributed generation, such as renewable energy sources. As the research team emphasizes, “it represents a step towards more efficient grids, ready for the large-scale integration of distributed generation.” In addition, this advance helps reduce network operating costs, “which could translate into savings on electricity bills”.