Peer-to-peer energy scheduling gets 3x faster on quantum hardware

E.ON and Qoro Quantum have achieved a threefold reduction in hardware execution time for peer-to-peer energy scheduling using a new optimisation pipeline on IBM quantum hardware. The collaboration, supported by the UK’s SparQ 2025 programme, tackled the complex problem of coordinating energy transactions between producers and consumers by mathematically reducing the ‘scheduling rounds’ needed to reach an accurate solution.

This approach allows for drastically more efficient energy management and potentially eases strain on power grids, demonstrated through benchmark models and Qoro’s open-source software. “Efficient scheduling is key to scalable peer-to-peer energy markets,” said Dr. Corey O’Meara, Chief Quantum Scientist at E.ON, “Our new approach removes a major technical barrier, letting organisations start with classical or simulated quantum methods and transition seamlessly to real quantum hardware as it advances.”

Decomposition-Based Optimization Pipeline Accelerates Peer-to-Peer Scheduling

Reducing the length of solution decomposition, essentially the number of scheduling rounds, proved critical to the optimization pipeline’s success, enabling more efficient energy transaction scheduling and potentially alleviating strain on power grids. This improvement was realized through the use of Qoro’s open-source Divi SDK and scheduler, which orchestrated the hybrid quantum-classical computations. The project, funded through the SparQ 2025 programme, used Quantum Approximate Optimisation Algorithm (QAOA) sampling combined with classical feasibility repair to achieve lower residual decomposition error than standard classical baselines.

This means the quantum-enhanced method produced more accurate solutions with fewer computational resources. The work was conducted with oversight from the STFC Hartree Centre and the NQCC, highlighting a collaborative effort to translate quantum computing research into practical applications.

The successful demonstration of this pipeline has implications for the growing number of energy prosumers, households and businesses that both consume and produce electricity, who require coordinated peer-to-peer energy transactions. Qoro and E.ON plan to contribute several of the tools developed during this project back to the open-source ecosystem through the Divi SDK, enabling other researchers and practitioners to build upon this work. “We’ve shown that by breaking large problems into smaller pieces, the Qoro platform enables practical optimisation for renewable energy grids, reducing losses and improving resilience, creating a clear pathway for near-term quantum adoption.”

Spatial Circuit Packing Achieves 3x Speedup on IBM Quantum Hardware

The technique intelligently divided a benchmark power grid simulation, typically requiring 1,710 qubits, into subproblems manageable by current IBM quantum hardware, each capped at 50 qubits. Classical feasibility repair then reassembled the fragmented results, proving that IBM’s processors, combined with strategic problem decomposition, can address challenges of this magnitude. By breaking down the large optimisation problem, the algorithm achieved high solution accuracy while remaining within the constraints of available quantum resources, a critical step toward practical quantum solutions for energy management, according to O’Meara.

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