The Brain Behind the Grid: A Comprehensive Review on Advanced Control Strategies for Smart Energy Management Systems

The integration of digital technologies is catalysing a fundamental transformation of modern energy systems, enhancing operational efficiency, adaptability, and sustainability. Despite significant progress, the existing literature often addresses digital innovations in isolation, with limited consideration of their synergistic potential within Advanced Energy Systems (AES). This paper presents a systematic review of key digital technologies—such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, blockchain, and digital twins—employed in AES, providing a critical assessment of their individual functionalities, interdependencies, and collective contributions to the energy sector. The analysis highlights the capacity of integrated digital solutions to augment system intelligence, strengthen operational resilience, and increase flexibility across various layers of the energy infrastructure. In addressing persistent challenges—including demand-side variability, supply intermittency, and regulatory complexity—the coordinated implementation of these technologies enables real-time optimization, predictive maintenance, and data-informed decision-making. The findings demonstrate that the synergistic deployment of digital technologies not only enhances system performance but also contributes to measurable improvements in reliability, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. The review concludes that establishing a cohesive and interoperable digital ecosystem is essential for the development of future-ready energy systems that are robust, efficient, and responsive to the evolving dynamics of the global energy landscape.