Systems and methods for volt-ampere reactive control and optimization

A control system for an electric power transmission and distribution grid configured to supply electric power to a plurality of user locations, the system comprising:

• a supply point for generating electrical power;
• a plurality of nodes downstream of the supply point, wherein each node includes a substation configured to supply electrical power from the supply point to a plurality of user locations;
• a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor is located at a respective one of a plurality of distribution locations on the distribution grid at or between the nodes and at least one of the plurality of user locations, and wherein each sensor is configured to sense a component of the supplied electric power at the respective distribution location and to generate measurement data based on the sensed component of the power;
• a controller configured to receive the measurement data from the plurality of sensors, to determine a system power factor at the supply point and a node power factor at each of the plurality of nodes, and to generate an energy delivery parameter based on the system power factor and thus also a system volt-amperes reactive (VAR);
• and
• at least one VAR adjusting device configured to add or subtract VARs to the electric power transmission and distribution grid in response to the energy delivery parameter.