Disclosed are systems and methods for providing an adiabatic power compensation differential scanning calorimeter to minimize a temperature difference between a sample and a reference. For instance, methods can include providing ramp-up heating power to heat a sample container and a reference container based on a preprogrammed temperature ramp rate; minimizing a temperature difference among the sample container, the reference container, and at least one furnace; providing compensating heat to the sample container and the reference container when a self-heating activity of the sample material is detected; providing container-only compensating heat to the sample container to block heat transfer from the sample material to the sample container once the self-heating activity of the sample material is detected; and providing compensating heat to the reference container to facilitate container-only compensating heat calculation and control.