The Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber, the Polytechnic School of the University of Cyprus, and the Interdepartmental Postgraduate Programme (MSc) «Energy Technologies and Sustainable Design», cordially invite you to a technical lecture on “From buildings with almost zero energy consumption to zero emission buildings”.
The lecture will be delivered in greek.
When: Wednesday 13 March 2024, 17.00 - 19.00.
Where: room B108, University House “Anastasios G. Leventis”, New Campus – University of Cyprus
More info & agenda here
Registrations are available by 8 March 2024 the latest in the following link:
https://forms.gle/enhiZKNXjJrPcfH26
The 3rd International Conference on Energy Transition in the Mediterranean Area will provide a forum for in-depth, solution-oriented discussion among researchers, policymakers, regional and local authorities, renewable energy clusters, and other main actors in the energy transition underway.
The Organising Committee and General Chairs are delighted to announce the launch for Call for Papers for the 3rd International Conference on Energy Transition in the Mediterranean Area (SyNERGY MED 2024), which is scheduled to take place between 21-23 October 2024, in Limassol, Cyprus.
The Conference aims to address the vast technological changes in the areas of renewable energy, smart grid technologies, grid integration, low-carbon buildings and energy communities, energy policy, cybersecurity, and social science issues. In this respect, it will substantively build upon the previous two conferences, in service of delivering a major energy platform in the region.
The 2024 edition of the Conference is being organised by the University of Cyprus, with the support of the PHAETHON Centre of Excellence, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the University of Western Macedonia, the University of Cagliari, and the IEEE University of Cyprus Student Branch. As in previous years, the Conference is benefitting from technical sponsorship by the IEEE Power & Energy Society, while the scientific quality is strengthened by the launch of new Special Issues in the leading journals Renewable Energy and Sustainable Energy Grids and Networks.
SyNERGY MED 2024 will focus on key topics of interest to the Energy Challenges in the Mediterranean area, providing a forum for in-depth, solution-oriented discussion among researchers, policymakers, regional and local authorities, renewable energy clusters, and other main actors/stakeholders in the energy transition underway. The following confirmed Keynote Speakers will provide further insight into and facilitate discussion around these key topics of interest:
Prof. Andreas K. Athienitis (Concordia University)
Mr. Henrik Bindner (Technical University of Denmark)
Dr Venizelos Efthymiou (PHAETHON Centre of Excellence)
Prof. Klaus Hubacek (University of Groningen)
Prof. Carlo Alberto Nucci (University of Bologna)
Prof. Aravind Purushothaman Vellayani (University of Groningen)
The submission system for SyNERGY MED 2024 is now open, with prospective authors invited to submit a Full Paper, ranging between 3 to 5 pages, until 29 April 2024.
Fuller information concerning the international conference, including the registration process and fees, submission guidelines, accommodation options, and thematic areas, is available on the SyNERGY MED 2024 website: https://synergy-med.org/. Interested parties are also encouraged to email the Organising Committee for any related academic matters at: synmed2024@ucy.ac.cy.
Project Berlin (full title: “Cost-effective rehabilitation of public buildings into smart and resilient nano-grids using storage”) was an ambitious project funded by the European Union under the ENI CBC Med Programme that brought together seven organisations from four Mediterranean countries (Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and Italy) to jointly tackle aspects of environmental protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation (Thematic objective B.4) through energy efficiency and renewable energy priority actions.
Click on the below for a full overview of the project’s news and results along the way, from the first day of its implementation to the last:
Newsletter 1
Newsletter 2
Newsletter 3
Newsletter 4
Newsletter 5
Newsletter 6
On 14 February 2024, the PVLab, FOSS/PHAETHON team had the great pleasure to attend the presentations of the first PHAETHON CoE Internship Programme students, who had joined us between 5-15 February 2024 from the Arab Academy for Science and Technology (AASTMT), Egypt. Mr. Youssef Hamdy and Mr. AbdelRahman Yasser, students of Electrical Engineering at AASTMT, jointly presented their exciting research results on the "Integration of Smart PV Systems into Cloud-Based Databases", undertaken as part of their Internship on-site at the University of Cyprus.
We look forward to welcoming the next cohort of like-minded interns from across the globe, as part of our enriched Internship Programme this summer! More info on the next intake here: https://www.phaethon-coe.eu/internship-programme-2024
The new project on “Semi-transparent micro-stripped thin-film photovoltaics for
energy-harvesting windows” is being coordinated by the Iberian International
Nanotechnology Laboratory, engaging six partners across five countries.
A new partnership that brings together six partners across five countries (Cyprus,
Portugal, Italy, Hungary, and Turkey) has been launched for the implementation of a
new research project with the acronym “TRANSMIT”.
Read the Press Release here: English Greek.
A new project contract was signed by the DegradationLab team of the PV Technology Lab, University of Cyprus, this time for the TRANSMIT project, co-funded by the Republic of Cyprus and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Research and Innovation Foundation (EP/CETP/0922/0059).
Project TRANSMIT, titled “Semi-transparent micro-stripped thin-film photovoltaics for energy-harvesting windows”, will run for 36 months and was funded under the CET Partnership Call of Proposals. The project is being coordinated by the Iberian International Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) in Portugal, while the DegradationLab team of the University of Cyprus is participating as a partner.
This successful funding bid reflects the DegradationLab team’s increasing capability in going after joint funding opportunities for Research and Development (R&D) projects with industry and SMEs , as well as its increased participation in national and international funding bids and the achievement of new collaborations with key research and industrial players, all of which are objectives in their current Horizon Europe project TESTARE.
Stay updated about upcoming activities of the DegradationLab team by following the TESTARE social media.
Website: https://www.testare.eu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/testareproject
Twitter: https://twitter.com/testareproject
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/testareproject/
TRANSMIT project is co-funded by the Republic of Cyprus and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Research and Innovation Foundation (EP/CETP/0922/0059). TRANSMIT was funded by CETPartnership, The Clean Energy Transition Partnership under the 2022 joint call for research proposals, co-funded by the European Commission (GA No 101069750) and with the funding organizations detailed on https://cetpartnership.eu/funding-agencies-and-call-modules.
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The TESTARE research management team participated in the R&I Stakeholders Meeting organised by the TWIN4MERIT Twinning Project, which took place on 23 January 2024 at University of Cyprus (UCY).
The meeting was focused on one of the objectives of the TWIN4MERIT Project, which is to improve the research landscape of Cyprus in the interdisciplinary field of Management and Economics of Research and Innovation. Additionally, the meeting marked the launch of the Cyprus R&I Managers and Administrators Network, and a crucial discussion was held on the profession, including the role and training needs of R&I Managers and Administrators.
The participation in this meeting by TESTARE was part of the team’s efforts to boost research management and administration for a healthy research ecosystem at UCY, which aligns with the goals of the TWIN4MERIT project.
On 28 June 2023, Dr. Anurag Krishna from our partner organisation, the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC), visited us at the University of Cyprus and delivered a targeted training on the “Strategies for highly efficient and stable perovskite photovoltaics” to the TESTARE project team.
The training presented an opportunity for the TESTARE Researchers to improve their insight on perovskite PV technology development, which is important when trying to understand stability and field reliability results from perovskite devices.
PHAETHON CoE, University of Cyprus invites undergraduate students of Electrical, Mechanical, and Computer Engineering, as well as Mathematics and/or Physics, to join the Centre for a tailored summer internship at the University of Cyprus.
Join a cohort of like-minded interns from across the globe and gain the know-how to accelerate your career, through technical coursework, workshops, and hands-on experiments!
Learn more here
Accepting applications from PhD holders for the “ONISILOS – Co-funding International, Interdisciplinary and Intersectoral research excellence at the University of Cyprus”
Are you a post-doctoral researcher thinking about your next career move? Then the ONISILOS MSCA COFUND Second Call at the University of Cyprus might be of interest to you!
Join Professor George E. Georghiou’s group and start an MSCA journey working alongside UCY academics in the scientific fields of smart energy and mobility solutions, renewable energy sources and photovoltaics, renewable energy and cloud computing, computer modelling and simulations, damage and degradation of photovoltaics or plasma physics.
The ONISILOS project aims to develop a fellowship programme for Experienced Researchers (ERs) with an international, intersectoral, and interdisciplinary character in order to enhance research conducted at the University of Cyprus.
Candidate Profile:
· You must hold a PhD degree of a recognized higher education institution before 23 February 2024.
· Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Cyprus for more than 12 months, in the 3 years immediately before the call of application deadline.
Interested candidates can submit their application online on the ONISILOS Portal here.
Deadline to submit your proposal: 23 February 2024 (17:00 EEST)
If you are interested in being part of our team, then select Prof. Georghiou as your Primary Supervisor in the 1st step of your application.
More detailed information can be found on the ONISILOS website here and all scientific areas can be found here.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 101034403.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Follow ONISILOS on Social Media:
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
Find the Guide for Applicants here
Find the ONISILOS second call Announcement here
Dr. Vasiliki Paraskeva, University of Cyprus (UCY), participated in a TESTARE project training titled “Towards accurate and reliable IV and spatially-resolved EL/PL measurements of perovskite mini-modules” at the Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE on 28–29 November 2023.
Dr. Paraskeva attended the training as part of the 3rd scientific exchange and training organised by Fraunhofer ISE, which aimed at the transfer of knowledge and expertise to UCY personnel regarding the accurate and precise IV testing of perovskite-based devices. UCY staff also benefitted from training on spatially resolved Electroluminescence/Photoluminescence (EL/PL) techniques.
The training, delivered by Dr. Clemens Baretzky (FMF) and Dr. Alexander Bett & Dr. Oliver Fischer (Fraunhofer ISE), is tied to the implementation of case studies associated with measurements inter-comparison on EL/PL characterization techniques and on round-robin campaign for IV testing of perovskite-based modules.
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A delegation from the FOSS Research Centre of the University of Cyprus (UCY)
visited the Project PHAETHON advanced partners between 27-31 November
2023, within the framework of the project’s technology transfer and best-
practice exchange.
The team spent two days, respectively, at the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) and the University of Groningen (UG) in the Netherlands. During that
time, the 15-member FOSS team benefitted from an in-depth look into key
areas of organisation/operations and expertise, ranging from lab infrastructure
organisation and lab expansion management to hydrogen storage and
hydrogen-based energy systems. The visits also included extensive tours of
dedicated labs and facilities, including SYSLAB (DTU) and Energy Academy
Europe (UG).
About Project PHAETHON
The PHAETHON Teaming Project was submitted and awarded funding under
the prestigious Horizon Europe “Teaming for Excellence” Call for Proposals.
Along with the University of Cyprus (UCY), the other partners in the consortium
are the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Cyprus Seeds, the
Technical University of Denmark (DTU), and the University of Groningen (UG) in
the Netherlands. The project’s main outcome is to upgrade the highly
successful UCY FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy to an
autonomous and self-sustaining Centre of Excellence in the energy field. It also
serves as an academic and professional conduit between three countries
(Cyprus, Denmark, and The Netherlands), jointly tackling the challenges and
working towards facilitating the much-needed green transition.
With the support of the European Commission, stakeholders from the energy industry have established a Large-scale Skills Partnership (LSP) under the EU Pact for Skills initiative, to boost skills development in the energy sector across Europe. The move is a further step in the EU response to the shortage of skills linked to the clean energy transition.
Read more in the article by the European Commission here: https://shorturl.at/cpLX4
Each member can register on the Pact for Skills website.
Find the LSP Registration Guidance here
“Workshop on Industrialization of Perovskite Thin Film Photovoltaic Technology (21 September 2023)”.
Dr. Maria Hadjipanayi from the DegradationLab team of the University of Cyprus participated in the 6th International Conference on Perovskite Solar Cells and Optoelectronics (PSCO-2023) which took place in Oxford, UK from 18th -20th September 2023. As part of TESTARE networking and dissemination activities, Dr. Hadjipanayi delivered a poster presentation of the DegradationLab team’s work on perovskite testing titled “Learning curves from long-term outdoor testing and indoor optoelectronic characterization of perovskite mini-modules”.
The PSCO conference programme included a combination of invited talks, contributing talks and poster presentations in an event which brought a broad spectrum of the perovskite community together to discuss and share knowledge on the latest advances in perovskite materials, devices and photophysical and optoelectronic properties, phenomena, and testing.
Additionally, this year the PSCO was combined with an industry day on the 21st September for interested PSCO and other participants to discuss Industrialization of Photovoltaics Thin Film Technology. Speakers from industry gave updates on the progress made and the challenges faced in this sector. Among them, Dr. Tom Aernouts, partner in TESTARE and representing IMEC/Solliance, presented long-term outdoor results from IMEC perovskite devices tested at the University of Cyprus in his talk ‘Scalable interface modifications to minimize cell to module performance gap’.
This work has been financed by the European Union through the TESTARE project (Grant ID: 101079488) and by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the DegradationLab project (Grant ID: INFRASTRUCTURES/1216/0043).
On the 4th of December 2023, imec successfully hosted the second TESTARE webinar on research management. This seminar focused on transferring best practices on EU project management at different project stages, and on data management within the context of EU projects. Representing the Public R&D Policies programs Group of imec, Veroni Ballet presented on EU Project Management, whilst the R&D Data Manager of imec, Nele Schouteden, presented on Data Management. The webinar ended with a fruitful discussion in the context of the project task 2.7: “Boosting research management and administration skills at UCY”.
Mr. Sutterlueti outlined the importance of leveraging advanced performance models and data-driven solutions, citing the work undertaking in conjunction with the FOSS Research Centre.
Juergen Sutterlueti, Vice President, Energy Segment and Marketing at Gantner Instruments, delivered an insightful presentation on “data-driven predictive analytics & system monitoring workflows for streamlined utility-scale photovoltaic power plant failure diagnosis” at the 2023 European PVPMC Workshop.
During his presentation, he underscored the importance of leveraging advanced performance models, in view of the anticipated surge in the global PV market, to enhance operational and maintenance (O&M) strategies, boost energy production, and minimise downtime.
In this context, Mr. Sutterlueti also touched upon the Analytics Project, powered by PV Technology, FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy, dealing with advanced system
monitoring & analytics for smart grids.
The 2023 PV Performance Modelling Conference, which took place in Medrisio, Switzerland, between 8 and 9 November, examined the technical challenges and opportunities related to PV performance modelling and the digitalisation of the PV sector, with a specific focus on ground mounted and building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems. It was hosted by SUPSI PVLab, with contributions from Sandia National Laboratories, IEA PVPS Task 13 and Task 15.
For more insights and to download our valued partner’s 2023 PVPMC Workshop presentation, please visit: https://hubs.ly/Q029pFdF0.
Professor Panos Papanastasiou was an invited speaker at this year’s Cyprus Energy Symposium, delivering a presentation on PHAETHON CoE, the newest Centre of Excellence to be inaugurated in Cyprus that aims to serve as a catalyst for excellence in the energy field, focusing on the development of solutions and applications that can address a wide range of contemporary global energy challenges.
Professor Papanastasiou, of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and of the FOSS Research Centre of the University of Cyprus (UCY), was speaking at the event’s second session on “Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Efficiency”. During his presentation, he outlined the PHAETHON CoE’s path towards a world-class autonomous and self-sustained Centre of Excellence, touching upon its diversification of activities, core research themes, and smart energy infrastructure.
It is worth noting that PHAETHON CoE is being established through the eponymous Teaming for Excellence Horizon Europe project, having secured €15 million in funding from the EU, as well as complementary funding in excess of €30 million, signalling in parallel the evolution and upgrade of the FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy. Along with UCY, the other partners in the consortium are the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Cyprus Seeds, the Technical University of Denmark, and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
The landmark event in Cyprus’ energy sector, which was once again jointly organised by the Institute of Energy for SE Europe (IENE) and FMW Financial Media Way, took place on 31 October 2023 at the Royal Hall Hotel in Nicosia. As previously, the Symposium brought together senior government officials, energy professionals, energy company executives, decision-makers, and academics across Cyprus, Greece, SE Europe, and the Middle East, to meaningfully engage with and chart the next steps in the energy future of Cyprus.
The President of the Republic of Cyprus, H.E. Mr. Nicos Christodoulides was this year’s keynote speaker, with welcome addresses delivered, among others, by the President of the House of Representatives, Ms. Annita Demetriou, the Greek Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr. Theodoros Skylakakis, and the Cyprus Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Mr. George Papanastasiou.
This year’s Energy Symposium was especially topical, given the rapid developments in the regional, European and global energy scene, as a result of the continuing war in Ukraine, the efforts undertaken by the EU to wean itself off natural gas imports from Russia, the latest flare-up in the Middle East, on account of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the broader geopolitical and economic realignments, the global effects of the unfolding energy crisis, as well as the ongoing threats and provocative actions by Turkey in the EEZ of Cyprus.
In this context, Professor Papanastasiou’s presentation of the nascent Centre of Excellence was notable, given PHAETHON’s Research and Innovation focus on intelligent, efficient, and sustainable energy solutions, aligned to the European Green Deal priorities. This remit places PAHETHON CoE at the heart of the energy ecosystem in Cyprus, the region, and worldwide, in the common pursuit to ensure a more sustainable and secure energy future.
The FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy welcomed a group of PASCAL Private English School Lefkosia students on 24 October 2023, visiting as part of their Renewable Energy & Environmental Club activities.
During their visit, the students had the opportunity to learn more about the latest in Renewable Energy Sources, particularly Photovoltaics, as well as be exposed to related technologies through a hands-on approach. Moreover, the on-site demonstrations by FOSS researchers covered exciting and timely energy topics such as storage, e-mobility, green hydrogen, and smart cities.
The visit falls under the educational activities of the FOSS Research Centre (which is transforming to PHAETHON CoE). Interested parties can book a free educational visit at 22-892211.
The Human Resource Development Authority (HRDA) and FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy have entered into an MoU that will facilitate free vocational training programmes on the Green Economy, targeting the upskilling or reskilling of upwards of 2,000 people in the Cyprus labour market.
This directly connects to the Education pillar of FOSS, on the road to its transformation to PHAETHON CoE
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Δωρεάν προγράμματα κατάρτισης για 2.000 άτομα για απόκτηση γνώσεων και δεξιοτήτων που σχετίζονται με την πράσινη οικονομία.
Στις 12 Οκτωβρίου 2023 υπογράφηκε Σύμβαση και Μνημόνιο Συνεργασίας μεταξύ της Αρχής Ανάπτυξης Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού Κύπρου (ΑνΑΔ) και της Ερευνητικής Μονάδας Ενεργειακής Αειφορίας ΦΩΣ του Πανεπιστημίου Κύπρου, το οποίο μετεξελίσσεται σε Κέντρο Αριστείας PHAETHON (ΦΑΕΘΩΝ), με σκοπό την οργάνωση και υλοποίηση προγραμμάτων κατάρτισης για απόκτηση γνώσεων και δεξιοτήτων που σχετίζονται με την πράσινη οικονομία. Το Μνημόνιο Συνεργασίας υπέγραψαν ο κύριος Γιάννης Μουρουζίδης, Γενικός Διευθυντής της ΑνΑΔ και ο Καθηγητής Γεώργιος Η. Γεωργίου, Υπεύθυνος Εργαστηρίου Φωτοβολταϊκής Τεχνολογίας, Ερευνητική Μονάδα Ενεργειακής Αειφορίας ΦΩΣ του Πανεπιστημίου Κύπρου. Τη Σύμβαση υπέγραψαν ο κύριος Γιάννης Μουρουζίδης, Γενικός Διευθυντής της ΑνΑΔ και ο κύριος Μενέλαος Μενελάου, Αναπληρωτής Διευθυντής Διοίκησης και Οικονομικών του Πανεπιστημίου Κύπρου.
Η υπογραφείσα Σύμβαση προνοεί την υλοποίηση 148 προγραμμάτων κατάρτισης για την κατάρτιση 2.000 περίπου ατόμων με εκτιμώμενη δαπάνη €722.160. Το θεματολόγιο των προγραμμάτων κατάρτισης εστιάζεται σε διάφορους θεματικούς τομείς, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των φωτοβολταϊκών συστημάτων, του έξυπνου δικτύου και των σύγχρονων τεχνολογιών, της ηλεκτροκίνησης, των ανερχόμενων τεχνολογιών και των έξυπνων πράσινων πόλεων. Τα προγράμματα κατάρτισης προσφέρονται δωρεάν και δικαιούχοι συμμετοχής σε αυτά είναι απασχολούμενοι στον ιδιωτικό, δημόσιο και ευρύτερο δημόσιο τομέα, αυτοαπασχολούμενοι και άνεργοι.
Η ΑνΑΔ υλοποιεί το έργο «Προγράμματα κατάρτισης για απόκτηση γνώσεων και δεξιοτήτων που σχετίζονται με την πράσινη οικονομία» στο πλαίσιο του Σχεδίου Ανάκαμψης και Ανθεκτικότητας Κύπρου (2021-2026). Το έργο χρηματοδοτείται από τον Μηχανισμό Ανάκαμψης και Ανθεκτικότητας της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης – NextGenerationEU μέσω του Σχεδίου Ανάκαμψης και Ανθεκτικότητας Κύπρου.
Περισσότερες πληροφορίες εδώ.
The University of Cyprus and FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy have the pleasure of inviting you to attend the High-Level Kick-Off Ceremony for the Teaming for Excellence Project
PHAETHON, marking the launch towards the PHAETHON Centre of Excellence for Research and Innovation for Intelligent, Efficient and Sustainable Energy Solutions.
PHAETHON is a Teaming for Excellence Horizon Europe project that will lead to the establishment of the PHAETHON Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Research and Innovation (R&I) in the field of Intelligent, Efficient and Sustainable Energy Solutions, signalling in parallel the evolution and upgrade of the existing FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus.
The project secured funding of €15 million from the EU, as well as an equal amount from national sources, with significant funding also coming in from the private and public sectors. Along with the University of Cyprus, the other partners in the consortium are the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Cyprus Seeds, the Technical University of Denmark, and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
When: Wednesday, 11 October 2023 at 09:00 – 14:00 EEST
Where: University of Cyprus, New Campus Amphitheatre B108, Council-Senate Building “Anastasios G. Leventis”
RSVP
Agenda
As part of the SOLAR-ERA.NET Project PV-ANALYTIC
Last week, FOSS Research Centre Special Scientist George Makrides delivered an oral presentation on the advancements in data-driven solar analytics and reliable failure diagnosis for utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants, at the 40th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC 2023). The work was performed jointly with Gantner Instruments GmbH and Steve Ransome Consulting Ltd.
Dr. Makrides attended the landmark event to disseminate the latest results of the transnational PV-ANALYTIC project, which aimed to advance the field of data-driven O&M by presenting data-driven solutions for accurate performance predictions and fault classification at utility-scale PV power plants.
The EU PVSEC is the largest international Conference for Photovoltaic research, technologies, and applications, with the conference's scientific programme coordinated by the European Commission Joint Research Centre. At the same time, the EU PVSEC serves as a PV Industry Exhibition, where specialised PV Industry presents technologies, innovations, and new concepts in the upstream PV sector. In this vein, the global PV community comes together under the auspices of the annual gathering to present and discuss the latest developments in Photovoltaics, as well as to network and conduct business.
This year’s edition of the EU PVSEC, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal, between 18 and 22 September 2023, celebrated the 40-year-long history of the science-to-science and science-to-industry platform that is uniquely focused on the global PV Solar sector.
PV-ANALYTIC is supported under the umbrella of SOLAR-ERA.NET Cofund 2 by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) of Cyprus (P2P/SOLAR/0818/0012).
Last week, FOSS Research Centre Special Scientist George Makrides delivered an oral presentation on operational stability and ancillary services in distribution grids, alongside the work planned and performed to date by the TRUST-PV project in the domain of fast grid controls from power plant controllers demonstrated at real-time simulation environments, at the 40th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC 2023).
Dr. Makrides was attending the EU PVSEC “Reliable and Friendly Integration of Next-Generation PV plants in EU Grids” Parallel Event, on behalf of TRUST-PV, which aims to demonstrate increase in performance and reliability of PV components and PV systems in large portfolios of distributed and/or utility-scale PV.
The EU PVSEC is the largest international Conference for Photovoltaic research, technologies, and applications, with the conference's scientific programme coordinated by the European Commission Joint Research Centre. At the same time, the EU PVSEC serves as a PV Industry Exhibition, where specialised PV Industry presents technologies, innovations, and new concepts in the upstream PV sector. In this vein, the global PV community comes together under the auspices of the annual gathering to present and discuss the latest developments in Photovoltaics, as well as to network and conduct business.
This year’s edition of the EU PVSEC, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal, between 18 and 22 September 2023, celebrated the 40-year-long history of the science-to-science and science-to-industry platform that is uniquely focused on the global PV Solar sector.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement N952957.
The PV Magazine article titled Cyprus starts first nanogrid project (published on 18 September) highlights the pioneering work undertaken by Foss Research Centre for Sustainable Energy and Ecotricity Holdings Ltd, under the EU-funded Project BERLIN, in establishing the first hybrid nanogrid system in Cyprus.
The main objective of the nanogrid involved transforming the existing FOSS infrastructure into a Living Lab, whereby the site’s energy consumption can be fulfilled by the energy production from the integrated PV system and the stored energy from the battery energy storage system (BESS). Moreover, the living lab environment enables researchers, industry, regulators, and policy-makers to collaborate, co-create, test, and evaluate new technologies, products, services, and policies in real-world settings.
In this context, the first-of-its-kind nanogrid system in Cyprus substantively supports the ongoing quest towards the much-needed Energy Transition, having also yielded greatly reduced on-site energy consumption costs, while nullifying the power system’s carbon footprint in the process.
In line with the above, “The main benefits of nanogrids for Cypriot consumers is to provide cheaper and cleaner electricity from renewables, and improved self-consumption from renewable technologies such as solar,” says George E. Georghiou, Head of PV Technology Lab. Professor Georghiou outlines several other potential benefits of nanogrids in the PV Magazine article, which stem from their operational mode and size, opening up opportunities for ancillary market services, aggregation, and the implementation of new business models.
Click on the link here to access the full PV Magazine article.
The Final Review Meeting for the Horizon 2020 PANTERA Project took place on 13 September 2023, marking four and a half years of dedicated, collaborative work among the consortium partners towards bridging the gaps in Research & Innovation (R&I) in the energy field between EU Member States.
The meeting was led by Dr. Venizelos Efthymiou, FOSS Chairman, and attended by representatives from partner organisations based in Bulgaria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, and Norway.
The FOSS Research Centre of the University of Cyprus served as the Coordinator of this H2020 project, which identified and implemented targeted initiatives aimed at levelling the participation of EU countries to a common energy market for the benefit of all EU citizens.
More specifically, the project’s goals were furthered through the launch of an interactive, multifunctional collaborative platform called “EIRIE”; a reference platform and one-stop shop for information sharing, collaboration, and knowledge creation aimed at supporting the advancement of R&I activities in Smart Grids at the national, regional, and pan-European level -- in service of facilitating the Energy Transition. Visit “EIRIE” here.
We would like to extend a huge thanks to our consortium partners, other European projects and the European Commission, to whom we are immensely grateful for bringing EIRIE into a reality!
An online workshop on “Modernising the distribution grid for enabling high penetration of photovoltaic electricity through advanced data analytic operational observability and management”, was organised by the PV Technology Laboratory, UCY on 7 August 2023, in closing out the three-year project ELECTRA, funded through the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation.
The workshop provided cutting-edge insights and extensive technical information in the area of data-driven flexibility tools that ensure grid-friendly integration of renewables in smart grids, welcoming participants from academia and industry from around the world (Cyprus, Europe, and the EMMENA region).
The participants, which included project developers and EPCs, as well as investors, consultants and researchers in the renewable energy sector and smart grids, had the opportunity to get in-field knowledge of next-generation grid-supportive tools and the latest technology developments that enable optimised distribution grid operations at high renewable shares.
The workshop was moderated by Dr. George Makrides of the University of Cyprus, who served as the ELECTRA Project Coordinator. He presented the novel data-driven tools and concepts for modernised grids developed throughout the project lifecycle. This was followed up by a demonstration of the two main in-market tools emanating from the project, namely, SUNCASTER and DER-Manager, by Dr. Spyros Theocharides of the University of Cyprus.
Thereafter, Dr. Venizelos Venizelou, representing the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority, outlined the regulatory framework of Cyprus’ electricity market, as well as the anticipated roadmap towards the Energy Transition. On his part, Alexandros Stylianides, representing the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry, charted the energy policy framework that is explicitly geared towards higher renewable shares, within the context of Cyprus’ updated National Energy and Climate Plan for 2030.
For more info about Project ELECTRA, please visit: https://fosscy.eu/projects/electra
The ELECTRA project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation with protocol number: INTEGRATED/0918/0071.
RESEE2023 will take place between 12-14 October in Nicosia, Cyprus, serving as a pivotal gathering of key stakeholders in the energy sector committed to advancing the renewable energy transition.
The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry (MECI) of Cyprus, and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), are co-organising the 7th International Conference on Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Efficiency (RESEE2023). The conference has been placed under the auspices of His Excellency, The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides.
The FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy actively supports the International Conference through its Head of PV Technology Lab, Professor George E. Georghiou, who is serving as a Co-Chair on the RESEE2023 Organising Committee. At the same time, FOSS researchers will be presenting their original work under the key themes of the project.
The upcoming conference will serve as a platform for researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and experts from around the world to come together for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and the exploration of cutting-edge advancements in the field of sustainable energy. Moreover, the conference will showcase the original research work carried out by both senior and young scientists in universities, research centres, public authorities, and private enterprises from over a dozen countries, covering a wide spectrum of topics in the transition to renewable energy.
For submission guidelines, paper template, and to submit your paper, please click here.
For more general information, please visit the RESEE 2023 website.
The intensive training will take place between 21-26/08/2023, covering the Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Devices and Energy consumption monitoring with energy meters, as part of the ERASMUS+ JAUNTY Project
Five students (3rd year graduate or post graduate) have the opportunity to participate in the hands-on experimental labs organised by the Technical University of Sofia (TUS) as part of the Erasmus+ project, Joint undergraduate courses for smart energy management systems (JAUNTY). This intensive week-long training will take place at TUS on 21/8/2023 – 26/8/2023.
The activity concerns a comprehensive set of pilot laboratory exercises for the courses “Introduction to the Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Devices" and "Energy consumption monitoring with energy meters and security aspects ". The students will be guided through a series of hands-on exercises, accessing the laboratories of TUS and also remote accessing partner labs as well. The students will gain valuable knowledge, hands-on experience and interaction with experts in the field.
Expenses for travel, room and board, up to €565 per student will be covered by the project.
Learn more here
APPLY HERE by the 4th of August 2023 the latest.
On Monday, 31 July 2023, we celebrated and thanked the talented group of students that interned with us at the PV Technology, FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus. This year’s interns joined us from a number of distinguished universities, including the University of Cambridge Princeton University, Imperial College London and The University of Edinburgh.
Interns had the opportunity to engage in challenging real-world problems and to improve their know-how in the area they are passionate about, whilst gaining valuable work experience! Their final project presentations engaged with thematics such as failure detection, smart grids, green hydrogen technologies, energy forecasting, and Geographic Information Systems.
Professor George E. Georghiou expressed his special thanks to them for their hard work, ethos, and dedication during their time with us, underscoring that “engineering is global; we are all one society, trying to be part of the climate change solution”.
The FOSS UCY team wishes Elia, Mark, Petros, Lucas Ng, Marios, Panayiotis, Leonidas, Fanourios, Evagoras, Loukas, and Christos every success with their future pursuits!
The “1st Cypriot PV Workshop: DegradationLab – TESTARE Joint Event”, was successfully held at the University of Cyprus on the 27th of June 2023 with presentations from local and international speakers on the latest trends in Research and Development in Photovoltaics (PVs) in Cyprus and beyond.
Representatives from the local and international scientific community, the industry and enterprises, as well as young researchers and stakeholders in the PV energy sector, joined this hybrid event, gaining a lot of benefits, from opportunities for networking to new knowledge on new-generation PVs. Most importantly, the participants had the unique chance to access the new facilities developed under the “DegradationLab” infrastructure project during an Open Day session!
Organized by the University of Cyprus, this is the 1st Workshop of its kind in Cyprus that provided the participants both with the scientific background in the field of new-generation PV and emerging technologies and the technical background as well as in-field knowledge of the work carried out in the “DegradationLab” project and the research activities of the recently started “TESTARE” project.
The event was a Sustainable Energy Day within the framework of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW).
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all speakers and participants for joining us!
Stay tuned for our upcoming research activities!
The DegradationLab project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research and Innovation Foundation (INFRASTRUCTURES/1216/0043).
The TESTARE project is funded by the European Union (101079488).
On the 19th of June 2023, Professor George E. Georghiou presented the “PHAETHON Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence for Intelligent, Efficient and Sustainable Energy Solutions” at the Sustainable Energy Day event organized by Europe Direct Nicosia - University of Cyprus with the support of Cyprus Energy Agency in the context of the Sustainable Energy Week 2023 (EUSEW2023). Participants had the opportunity to learn more about FOSS, its transformation to excellence, as well as the vision, activities and infrastructure of the new Centre of Excellence.
Recently, we had the great honor to host at the PV Technology Lab, FOSS (UCY), Dr. Andreas K. Athienitis, Professor of Building Engineering at Concordia University in Canada.
Professor Athienitis presented to our team on “Electrifying Society: Towards Decarbonized Resilient Communities”, with special reference to the funding received from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund for the implementation of an ambitious research programme designed to apply novel technologies to create innovative energy sources, secure critical infrastructure and deliver affordable, green energy under diverse conditions in municipalities and communities across Canada.
A fruitful discussion followed with interesting observations regarding building decarbonized and sustainable communities.
Professor Athienitis is the Scientific Director of the NSERC Smart Net-zero Energy Buildings Strategic Research Network and the founding Director of the NSERC Solar Buildings Research Network. His research expertise is in solar energy engineering, energy efficiency, optimization and control of building thermal systems, building integrated photovoltaics and daylighting.
Learn more about the electrification in Concordia here: https://www.concordia.ca/next-gen/electrifying-society.html
Biography of Professor Andreas K. Athienitis here: https://www.concordia.ca/research/zero-energy-building/faculty.html?fpid=andreas-athienitis
The epilogue of the “PANTERA” project was marked successfully in Brussels on the 19th of June 2023 with the active participation of representatives from the DG ENER and the JRC of the European Commission, as well as experts and stakeholders who have contributed to shape innovative concepts and tools.
The end of “PANTERA” project, marks a new era: The starting point of a rich future through EIRIE platform! EIRIE is an interactive multi-functional collaborative platform aiming to offer interoperable connectivity that can be by-directional and its vision is to become a reference operational point to unify European activity, incentivize further investments in smart grids, storage and local energy systems, support access to exploitable results that can spark further cooperation and bridge the existing gaps.
The final event emphasized the importance of EIRIE as a landmark for the R&I community of EU, EIRIE’s benefits and its key functionalities and how the strong voice of the stakeholders guided the evolution of the EIRIE platform. The project achieved bridging the gaps between researchers and entrepreneurs in the energy field, and between Member States in Europe, by bringing together and promoting successful national, regional or European partnerships.
The PV Technology Lab and FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy, participated in the online workshop on "Energy Trading/ Exchange in a Neighborhood/ Digitization", organized by the Middle East University, under AT-SGIRES project. Researcher Spyros Theocharides represented FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy by delivering an online presentation on: "PV Energy Forecasting which is used for Energy Trading" on the session of 14th September 2020. Another online session will be held on the 21st of September 2020 over zoom application at 11AM – 2:00PM (Amman time) and participation is free.
FOSS, Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus is conducting a market analysis study for its start-up company, SOLEX. SOLEX, funded by Cyprus Seeds, was selected from the first round for its successful business idea, which is to develop the next generation intelligent monitoring platform for the early detection of faults in Photovoltaic systems. The market analysis study should include, but not be limited to, the market size, market segmentation and market trends. Findings should be presented in a report format written in English language by 16 October 2020.
Researchers of FOSS participated in the 37th European PV Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition this September by delivering oral presentations online. Particularly, Spyros Theocharides presented on: "Hybrid Modelling of PV Power Generation for Enhanced Forecasting", whilst researcher Andreas Livera delivered a presentation on "Guidelines for Ensuring Data Quality for Photovoltaic System Performance Assessment and Monitoring". Also, Lamprini Papargyri presented the "Numerical analysis on cell crack initiation due to thermomechanical stresses" and Dr Matthew Norton on "Experiences of Continuous On-Sun Performance Measurements of Perovskite Mini-Modules”.
The Photovoltaic Technology Laboratory of the University of Cyprus proudly announces the commencement of our vocational training courses.The Photovoltaic Technology Laboratory strives to continue to acquire and disseminate knowledge! We provide a variety of vocational training courses to professionals. Currently, you may apply for "Fundamentals of Battery Energy Storage Systems" (18-25 November 2020) and "PV System Designer and Installer" (2-26 November 2020). The programme specification has been approved by the Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus.
Alexander Frick, joined us from the University of Stuttgart in Germany for a period of seven months, in order to participate in our internship programme. His project was on: "Degradation of Photovoltaic Systems at different Location". The project's aim was to calculate degradation rates of photovoltaic power systems in two locations, Stuttgart - Germany and Nicosia - Cyprus and it contained three different parts. Firstly, the data for the analysis had to be filtered. Secondly, the data had to be analyzed and performance ratios were calculated, and in the third step the degradation rates had to be approximated with different statistical time-series methods. All of these steps were applied in the programming languages Python and R. Alexander accomplished so much with us. We were so glad and thankful to have him with us and we wish him all the best with his future endeavors!
The Photovoltaic Technology Laboratory of the University of Cyprus strives to continue to acquire and disseminate knowledge! We proudly announce the commencement of our vocational training courses as of October 2020. We provide a variety of vocational training courses to professionals. Currently, you may apply for "PV System Designer and Installer" and "Fundamentals of Battery Energy Storage Systems". The courses are subsidized by the Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus. *Limited number of places available.
A new partnership between nine European countries, brings together organizations from Italy, Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, France, Netherlands and United Kingdom for the implementation of a new project with title “Increase Friendly Integration of Reliable PV plants considering different market segments” (TRUST-PV). The project is selected for funding by the European Commission Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) under the Horizon 2020 framework programme.
Every summer FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy and the PV Lab run the summer internship programme, encouraging young students from different Universities to participate and engage in academic research. This summer, Loukas Pikolos and Ioannis Papadopoulos, both undergraduate students from the University of Cyprus, joined us for their internship working on a common project on "UCY Microgrid and PV Power Plant Controller". Also, we had Charalambos Maxoutis from the University of Edinburgh who worked on "The Extreme Learning Machine Method". Alexios Charalambous, graduate of BSc Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing of the University of Cyprus, will also be working with our team until September 2020. These fabulous students accomplished so much with us. We were so glad and thankful to have them and we wish them all the best with their future endeavors!
On 28 July 2020, Professor George E. Georghiou, presented BERLIN project during the Webinar organized by Med-EcoSuRe, a project funded by the EuropeanUnion, under the ENI CBC Med Programme on “How can cost-effective energy efficiency and high–tech renewals take place in isolated zones/towns?”. BERLIN is thematically closely related to Med-EcoSuRe and Prof Georghiou participated in the Med-EcoSuRe webinar by sharing our experiences, milestones and goals.
A new partnership between five European countries, brings together organizations from Cyprus, Greece, Germany, Italy and France for the implementation of a new project with title “Developing advanced master’s education on Smart Grid technology” with acronym MOST (Master education Smart Technology). The project is funded by the Erasmus + programme and is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The project is coordinated by the University of Cagliari in Italy and the partners are FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus, Deloitte Cyprus, WIP Renewable Energies, the Hochschule Ulm University in Germany, the University of Western Macedonia in Greece and Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines de Paris in France. The total project funding is €441.833,00 and the funding for the University of Cyprus is €83.855,00.
The PV Technology Lab and FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus were granted the Energy Globe National Award for Cyprus, (“Energy Globe 2020”) by the national Energy Globe jury, which is based in Austria.The Energy Globe Award is the most important award for Sustainability worldwide. The research team, under the supervision of Prof. George E. Georghiou, Director of “FOSS”, participated in the international contest with the research programme “SmartPV” titled “Smart Net Metering for Promotion and cost-efficient Grid Integration of Photovoltaic Technology”. This is a pioneering research project, which is focused on optimising household electricity consumption via smart net-metering and application of dynamic electricity tariffs, with significant financial and environmental benefits for the energy development of the island.
The FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus announces the commencement of the project “Modernising the distribution grid for enabling high penetration of photovoltaic electricity through advanced data analytic operational observability and management” (acronym: ELECTRA), which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research and Innovation Foundation, under the programme “Integrated Projects”. The project has a total budget of €1,168,600 and is coordinated by the University of Cyprus!
Researchers of our team will be giving an online oral presentation of their papers on "Perovskite PV characterization", "Guidelines for Ensuring Data Quality for Photovoltaic System Performance Assessment and Monitoring" and "Hybrid Modelling of PV Power Generation for Enhanced Forecasting" at this years EUPVSEC - the 37th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition on the 8th September‼️ Connect with the global PV community at EU PVSEC to gain knowledge, explore trends and discuss what is needed to keep up the new solar momentum in Europe.
You can learn more information regarding the PV-ESTIA project (https://www.pv-estia.eu/) and its developed Advanced Tool for Specialised Users which targets policymakers but also engineers, consultants and any other professionals of the energy sector! In addition, a Cost-Benefit Analysis of Energy Storage in buildings implemented with the use of the Tool is included. Find out more about the financial viability of residential PV+Storage systems in the Balkan-Mediterranenan area!
Join us on the 7th of July 2020 for the "Discovering the ETU Toolbox" WEBINAR: Designing Energy Storage Systems for residential Photovoltaics using the Online PV+Storage Optimization Tool by StoRES project Interreg MED Programme!
Secure your place now for the first Pan-European PANTERA Workshop, taking place virtually on the 24th of June, as part of the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2020 Energy Days! PANTERA has come a long way through top down and bottom up actions/activities to identify and nourish all the trajectories that would contribute to the leveraging of smart grids R&I needs across Europe. We have grown wiser through our regional workshops/activities and stronger through our established collaborations, which we are proud of. Within the framework of the PANTERA multi-functional interactive platform developments and the set-up of the Operating Regional Desks, we would like to have an interactive fruitful discussion with you on the following topics: - EU policy for 2030 to 2050 and the role of the R&I community - Green Deal objectives and the R&I community positioning - ETIP SNET and BRIDGE role for building R&I priorities roadmap We are looking forward to your active participation for conducting a fruitful discussion to achieve all targeted objectives.
A new partnership that brings together three Mediterranean countries, Cyprus, Spain and Turkey has been launched for the implementation of a new project entitled “One intelligent cloud for PV Assets Diagnosis and Maintenance (Acronym: 1C4PV)”.
Difficult times lead to unconventional ideas. As face-to-face conferences suddenly is a faraway option, Dyenamo has tested an alternative platform for information exchange, namely thematic online workshops. After three workshops with technical themes, selected topics within the fields of perovskite solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells and solar fuels, respectively, the fourth one will be a thorough status report of the project ESPResSO "Efficient structures and processes for reliable perovskite solar modules". Two years into the project, the partners will give a status reports and discuss the project results and experiences. ESPResSO is a three-year Horizon 2020 project funded by the European Commission dedicated to realize the ambitious target of making perovskite solar cells a market reality. Consequently, the ESPResSo team covers the full spectrum of expertise ranging from fundamental studies to industrialization via e.g. studies of sustainability issues and development of materials, process technology and prototypes. The members of the consortium are coordinator IMEC (Belgium), EPFL (Switzerland), University of Rome, CNR and CSGI (Italy), Fraunhofer (Germany), University of Cyprus, Dycotec and M-Solv (UK), Onyx (Spain), Corning (France), Saule (Poland) and Dyenamo (Sweden). More ESPResSO information can be found on the project website and in the project flyer. For registration, please write your name and organisation in an email to conference@dyenamo.se, by latest 14 June 2020. We will confirm your registration by sending the link to the event.
FOSS team of the University of Cyprus would like to express its sincere thanks to Cyprus Seeds as without the support of the Cyprus Seeds team this wouldn’t have been possible! Michalis Florides and RG Mentor Stavros Koutsantonis who worked with SOLEX team, are sharing their RG YEP story at the blog of RG YEP.
eNeuron is a response to the desire of EU to shift towards a low- or even carbon-neutral pan-European energy system that brings many challenges and opportunities. Achieving this goal requires fully integrated energy systems able to supply low-carbon energy for all sectors from different energy sources, while integrating multiple energy carriers and exploiting the synergies coming from this interplay. In this context, storage in all its forms and types plays a crucial role by involving the end-user in the management of the energy system using local and user-friendly energy exchanges and by providing flexibility services to the system itself. FOSS as the Technical Coordinator and ENEA as the Management Coordinator of the eNeuron project together with 15 strong partners and 4 demos spread throughout Europe will study the above systems and tackle the demanding challenges. With strong motivation and high ambition, the partners of eNeuron aim to develop innovative tools for the optimal design and operation of Local Energy Communities integrating distributed energy resources and multiple energy carriers.
In the new issue of the ETEK journal, pages 14-15, you can read the article "Innovation Meets Design" for the project ImpActBiPV, a collaboration between FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus, Deloitte Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centre and k-energy by Karantonis Group. The article is in greek.
Great news! FOSS team is now in the greek Startupper Magazine in "Cyprus News Section" after our project SOLEX with the participation of Special Scientist Michalis Florides at RG YEP, has been announced as the Winner of the Social and Enviromental Impact Award! Professor George E. Georgiou said: "Throughout the RG YEP, we have gained significant knowledge on intellectual property, growth hacking and pitching. This award will help us a lot to develop our brand. It was great presenting our idea to potential investors".
Special Scientist Michalis Florides of FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus, the Winner of the Social Impact Award of the RG Accelarate pitching event in the context of the Reload Greece Young entrepreneurship Program 2019! His project focuses on the development of a low cost sensor, which will be installed on PV systems for the early detection of faults without interrupting the operation of the system. The main concept is that Photovoltaic (PV) installations grow exponentially on a yearly basis. Their increased penetration in the electricity supply is going to affect the security of the supply. In order to increase the reliability and ensure maximum energy output, a low cost monitoring solution is required. The Social Impact Award includes working with a UK company to develop a marketing strategy for the commercialization of his scientific idea to to the market.
Buildings are one of the world's largest "consumers" of electricity and, as a result, one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. This issue has an immediate impact on the construction industry as the European Union (EU) Member States concentrate their efforts on increasing the number of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs), following the European directives. NZEBs are buildings that have reduced consumption through energy saving measures and derive a significant part of this consumption from Renewables. Already, all public buildings must be classified asNZEBs by the 1st of January 2019 and mostly, all new buildings should belong to this category by the 1st of January 2021, in order to meet the set objectives for climate change by 2030.
FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy gives the opportunity to undergraduate students to be involved in its research for the summer period 2020 (May - September). Ideal candidates and eligible to apply are the undergraduate students in the Departments of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics and Mathematics from any University.
In February 2020, members of our team will be travelling to Greece for the kick -off meeting of FEVER project whilst in March 2020, we will have the pleasure to host in Cyprus the partners of FLEXGRID project for the 3rd Project Meeting. Also, on 13 Feb 2020 we participated at a regional workshop on "Green Islands as a driver for the Energy Transition – Going Renewable and Smart", organized in Athens by the PANTERA project. The workshop focused on the challenges and barriers, along with the best practices and future steps toward greening geographical islands and transforming them to 100% renewable energy systems with the support of technologies that enable their smart autonomous operation.
BERLIN aims to develop cost-effective rehabilitation measures for public buildings in Cyprus Israel, Italy and Greece involving the optimal integration of photovoltaics, energy storage and demand side management. BERLIN will influence positively public authorities and energy stakeholders towards adopting sustainable energy policies leading to sustainable development and more environmentally-friendly practices. The 2nd transational meeting of the project will take place in Israel during March 2020
During February, we had the pleasure to host the Primary School of Derynia for an educational visit to our premises, whilst 27 third-class primary students visited us as well on 27 Feb 2020, to enhance their knowledge on Photovoltaics.
The FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus proudly announces that the Special Scientist Mr Michalis Florides, has been selected as one of the winners of the 2019 Reload Greece Young entrepreneurship Program 2019 (RG YEP). Particularly, he is one of 15 ‘young entrepreneurs’ who have been selected from the 12 RGYEP events that took place in the UK, Greece and Cyprus in 2019, to participate in the next phase of the Program, the RG Accelerate.
New Project Launched to Support Innovative and Cost-Effective Energy Rehabilitation in Public Buildings. A project coordinated by the FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus.
The design and development of a glass Building Integrated Photovoltaic System (BIPVs) and its installation on façades is the topic of an innovative project launched recently in Cyprus, as a result of the collaboration between k-energy, Deloitte’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre and the Research Centre for Sustainable Energy (FOSS) of the University of Cyprus.
The Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB) in collaboration with FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus, organized with great success a workshop on Microgrids and their role in the development of Energy Communities, on Tuesday 24 September 2019.
The University of Cyprus is the coordinator of a new EU funded project from the European Commision that focuses on the establishment of a new era related to the issue of social action on energy issues, with a budget of €3.888.338,75 in the context of the programme «Horizon 2020».
FOSS University of Cyrus: 3rd trasnational meeting for the project Hy2Green in France.
New funded research project by FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy. The aim of the project is the optimal use of energy according to the needs and with the active participation of theconsumers.
The design and development of a glass Building Integrated Photovoltaic System (BIPVs) and its installation on façades is the topic of an innovative project launched recently in Cyprus, as a result of the collaboration between k-energy, Deloitte’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre and the Research Centre for Sustainable Energy (FOSS) of the University of Cyprus
Our participation in the online workshop "Energy Trading/ Exchange in a Neighborhood/ Digitization", under AT-SGIRES project!
The PV Technology Lab and FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy, participated in the online workshop on "Energy Trading/ Exchange in a Neighborhood/ Digitization", organized by the Middle East University, under AT-SGIRES project. Researcher Spyros Theocharides represented FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy by delivering an online presentation on: "PV Energy Forecasting which is used for Energy Trading" on the session of 14th September 2020.
Another online session will be held on the 21st of September 2020 over zoom application at 11AM – 2:00PM (Amman time) and participation is free.
Please register here: [English]
Expression of Interest to Conduct a Market Analysis Study
on Intelligent Monitoring of Photovoltaic Systems!
FOSS, Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus is conducting a market analysis study for its start-up company, SOLEX.
SOLEX, funded by Cyprus Seeds, was selected from the first round for its successful business idea, which is to develop the next generation intelligent monitoring platform for the early detection of faults in Photovoltaic systems.
The market analysis study should include, but not be limited to, the market size, market segmentation and market trends. Findings should be presented in a report format written in English language by 16 October 2020.
More information here: [English]
Our participation in the 37th European PV Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition!
Researchers of FOSS participated in the 37th European PV Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition this September by delivering oral presentations online.
Spyros Theocharides presented on: "Hybrid Modelling of PV Power Generation for Enhanced Forecasting", whilst researcher Andreas Livera delivered a presentation on "Guidelines for Ensuring Data Quality for Photovoltaic System Performance Assessment and Monitoring".
Also, Lamprini Papargyri presented the "Numerical analysis on cell crack initiation due to thermomechanical stresses" and Dr Matthew Norton on "Experiences of Continuous On-Sun Performance Measurements of Perovskite Mini-Modules”. A topic on "Early Detection of Potentia; Induced Degradation in the Field: Testing a New Methodology on Silicon PV Modules", was also presented by FOSS reseacher Michalis Florides.
Apply now to participate in our Vocational Training Courses - subsidized by HRDA!
The Photovoltaic Technology Laboratory of the University of Cyprus proudly announces the commencement of our vocational training courses.The Photovoltaic Technology Laboratory strives to continue to acquire and disseminate knowledge! We provide a variety of vocational training courses to professionals. Currently, you may apply for "Fundamentals of Battery Energy Storage Systems" (19 -26 October 2020) and "PV System Designer and Installer" (2-26 November 2020).
The courses are subsidized by the Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus and will be offered in greek. *Limited number of places available.
Read more: [Greek]
Another Succesful Internship has come to an end!
Alexander Frick, joined us from the University of Stuttgart in Germany for a period of seven months, in order to participate in our internship programme. His project was on: "Degradation of Photovoltaic Systems at different Location".
The project's aim was to calculate degradation rates of photovoltaic power systems in two locations, Stuttgart - Germany and Nicosia - Cyprus and it contained three different parts. Firstly, the data for the analysis had to be filtered. Secondly, the data had to be analyzed and performance ratios were calculated, and in the third step the degradation rates had to be approximated with different statistical time-series methods. All of these steps were applied in the programming languages Python and R.
Alexander accomplished so much with us. We were so glad and thankful to have him with us and we wish him all the best with his future endeavors!
TRUST-PV project in which FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus participates, is selected by the European Commission Innovation and Networks Executive Agency for Horizon 2020 Energy funding!
A new partnership between nine European countries, brings together organizations from Italy, Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, France, Netherlands and United Kingdom for the implementation of a new project with title “Increase Friendly Integration of Reliable PV plants considering different market segments” (TRUST-PV). The project is selected for funding by the European Commission Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) under the Horizon 2020 framework programme.
Read more here...[English] [Greek]
Successful FOSS Internship Programme!
Every summer FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy and the PV Lab run the summer internship programme, encouraging young students from different Universities to participate and engage in academic research.
This summer, Loukas Pikolos and Ioannis Papadopoulos, both undergraduate students from the University of Cyprus, joined us for their internship working on a common project on "UCY Microgrid and PV Power Plant Controller".
Also, we had Charalambos Maxoutis from the University of Edinburgh who worked on "The Extreme Learning Machine Method". Alexios Charalambous, graduate of BSc Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing of the University of Cyprus, will also be working with our team until September 2020.
These fabulous students accomplished so much with us. We were so glad and thankful to have them and we wish them all the best with their future endeavors!
Presentation of BERLIN project to the Webinar organized by Med-EcoSuRe!
On 28 July 2020, Professor George E. Georghiou, presented BERLIN project during the Webinar organized by Med-EcoSuRe, a project funded by the EuropeanUnion, under the ENI CBC Med Programme on “How can cost-effective energy efficiency and high–tech renewals take place in isolated zones/towns?”.
BERLIN is thematically closely related to Med-EcoSuRe and Prof Georghiou participated in the Med-EcoSuRe webinar by sharing our experiences, milestones and goals.
Follow the link to the Webinar here...[English]
FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus participates in the research project MOST!
A new partnership between five European countries, brings together organizations from Cyprus, Greece, Germany, Italy and France for the implementation of a new project with title “Developing advanced master’s education on Smart Grid technology” with acronym MOST (Master education Smart Technology). The project is funded by the Erasmus + programme and is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
The project is coordinated by the University of Cagliari in Italy and the partners are FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus, Deloitte Cyprus, WIP Renewable Energies, the Hochschule Ulm University in Germany, the University of Western Macedonia in Greece and Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines de Paris in France. The total project funding is €441.833,00 and the funding for the University of Cyprus is €83.855,00.
Read more here...[English]
FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus the National Winner of Energy Globe Award 2020!
The PV Technology Lab and FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus were granted the Energy Globe National Award for Cyprus, (“Energy Globe 2020”) by the national Energy Globe jury, which is based in Austria.The Energy Globe Award is the most important award for Sustainability worldwide.
The research team, under the supervision of Prof. George E. Georghiou, Director of “FOSS”, participated in the international contest with the research programme “SmartPV” titled “Smart Net Metering for Promotion and cost-efficient Grid Integration of Photovoltaic Technology”. This is a pioneering research project, which is focused on optimising household electricity consumption via smart net-metering and application of dynamic electricity tariffs, with significant financial and environmental benefits for the energy development of the island.
Read more here...[English]
New Project ELECTRA Launched!
The FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus announces the commencement of the project “Modernising the distribution grid for enabling high penetration of photovoltaic electricity through advanced data analytic operational observability and management” (acronym: ELECTRA), which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research and Innovation Foundation, under the programme “Integrated Projects”.
The project has a total budget of €1,168,600 and is coordinated by the University of Cyprus!
Read more here...[English]
Our Participation at the 37th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition!
Researchers of our team will be giving an online oral presentation of their papers on "Perovskite PV characterization", "Guidelines for Ensuring Data Quality for Photovoltaic System Performance Assessment and Monitoring" and "Hybrid Modelling of PV Power Generation for Enhanced Forecasting" at this years EUPVSEC - the 37th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition on the 8th September‼️
Connect with the global PV community at EU PVSEC to gain knowledge, explore trends and discuss what is needed to keep up the new solar momentum in Europe.
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The recording of the second PV-ESTIA webinar is now available online!
You can learn more information regarding the PV-ESTIA project (https://www.pv-estia.eu/) and its developed Advanced Tool for Specialised Users which targets policymakers but also engineers, consultants and any other professionals of the energy sector!
In addition, a Cost-Benefit Analysis of Energy Storage in buildings implemented with the use of the Tool is included.
Find out more about the financial viability of residential PV+Storage systems in the Balkan-Mediterranenan area!
Find the webinar here...[English]
Webinar: Discovering the ETU Toolbox
Join us on the 7th of July 2020 for the "Discovering the ETU Toolbox" WEBINAR: Designing Energy Storage Systems for residential Photovoltaics using the Online PV+Storage Optimization Tool by StoRES project Interreg MED Programme!
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Join the first Pan-European PANTERA Virtual Workshop!
Secure your place now for the first Pan-European PANTERA Workshop, taking place virtually on the 24th of June, as part of the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2020 Energy Days!
PANTERA has come a long way through top down and bottom up actions/activities to identify and nourish all the trajectories that would contribute to the leveraging of smart grids R&I needs across Europe. We have grown wiser through our regional workshops/activities and stronger through our established collaborations, which we are proud of.
Within the framework of the PANTERA multi-functional interactive platform developments and the set-up of the Operating Regional Desks, we would like to have an interactive fruitful discussion with you on the following topics:
- EU policy for 2030 to 2050 and the role of the R&I
community
- Green Deal objectives and the R&I community
positioning
- ETIP SNET and BRIDGE role for building R&I priorities
roadmap
We are looking forward to your active participation for conducting a fruitful discussion to achieve all targeted objectives.
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Join the upcoming online workshop of ESPResSo project on 16 June 2020 at 10.00 am Swedish time. The event is free of charge and will be organized via Zoom with Prof. Anders Hagfeldt as moderator.
Difficult times lead to unconventional ideas. As face-to-face conferences suddenly is a faraway option, Dyenamo has tested an alternative platform for information exchange, namely thematic online workshops. After three workshops with technical themes, selected topics within the fields of perovskite solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells and solar fuels, respectively, the fourth one will be a thorough status report of the project ESPResSO "Efficient structures and processes for reliable perovskite solar modules". Two years into the project, the partners will give a status reports and discuss the project results and experiences.
ESPResSO is a three-year Horizon 2020 project funded by the European Commission dedicated to realize the ambitious target of making perovskite solar cells a market reality. Consequently, the ESPResSo team covers the full spectrum of expertise ranging from fundamental studies to industrialization via e.g. studies of sustainability issues and development of materials, process technology and prototypes. The members of the consortium are coordinator IMEC (Belgium), EPFL (Switzerland), University of Rome, CNR and CSGI (Italy), Fraunhofer (Germany), University of Cyprus, Dycotec and M-Solv (UK), Onyx (Spain), Corning (France), Saule (Poland) and Dyenamo (Sweden). More ESPResSO information can be found on the project website and in the project flyer.
For registration, please write your name and organisation in an email to conference@dyenamo.se, by latest 14 June 2020. We will confirm your registration by sending the link to the event.
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Interview with Michalis Florides, Founder of Solex - the Winner of Environmental & Social Impact Award of the RG Young entrepreneurship Program 2019!
FOSS team of the University of Cyprus would like to express its sincere thanks to Cyprus Seeds as without the support of the Cyprus Seeds team this wouldn’t have been possible!
Michalis Florides and RG Mentor Stavros Koutsantonis who worked with SOLEX team, are sharing their RG YEP story at the blog of RG YEP.
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We would like to inform you of the project eNeuron that has just been ranked first in the Energy Island’s call of Horizon 2020 with FOSS being the Technical Coordinator led by Dr Christina Papadimitriou:
eNeuron is a response to the desire of EU to shift towards a low- or even carbon-neutral pan-European energy system that brings many challenges and opportunities.
Achieving this goal requires fully integrated energy systems able to supply low-carbon energy for all sectors from different energy sources, while integrating multiple energy carriers and exploiting the synergies coming from this interplay. In this context, storage in all its forms and types plays a crucial role by involving the end-user in the management of the energy system using local and user-friendly energy exchanges and by providing flexibility services to the system itself.
FOSS as the Technical Coordinator and ENEA as the Management Coordinator of the eNeuron project together with 15 strong partners and 4 demos spread throughout Europe will study the above systems and tackle the demanding challenges. With strong motivation and high ambition, the partners of eNeuron aim to develop innovative tools for the optimal design and operation of Local Energy Communities integrating distributed energy resources and multiple energy carriers.
Innovation Meets Design
In the new issue of the ETEK journal, pages 14-15, you can read the article "Innovation Meets Design" for the project ImpActBiPV, a collaboration between FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus, Deloitte Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centre and k-energy by Karantonis Group. The article is in greek.
Read more...[Greek]
FOSS team is now in the greek Startupper Magazine!
Great news! FOSS team is now in the greek Startupper Magazine in "Cyprus News Section" after our project SOLEX with the participation of Special Scientist Michalis Florides at RG YEP, has been announced as the Winner of the Social and Enviromental Impact Award!
Professor George E. Georgiou said: "Throughout the RG YEP, we have gained significant knowledge on intellectual property, growth hacking and pitching. This award will help us a lot to develop our brand. It was great presenting our idea to potential investors".
Special Scientist Michalis Florides of FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus, the Winner of the Social Impact Award of the RG Accelarate pitching event in the context of the Reload Greece Young entrepreneurship Program 2019!
Special Scientist Michalis Florides of FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy of the University of Cyprus, the Winner of the Social Impact Award of the RG Accelarate pitching event in the context of the Reload Greece Young entrepreneurship Program 2019!
His project focuses on the development of a low cost sensor, which will be installed on PV systems for the early detection of faults without interrupting the operation of the system. The main concept is that Photovoltaic (PV) installations grow exponentially on a yearly basis. Their increased penetration in the electricity supply is going to affect the security of the supply. In order to increase the reliability and ensure maximum energy output, a low cost monitoring solution is required.
The Social Impact Award includes working with a UK company to develop a marketing strategy for the commercialization of his scientific idea to to the market.
Read more...[Greek]
Enhancing storage integration in buildings with Photovoltaics: The European research project PV-ESTIA
Buildings are one of the world's largest "consumers" of electricity and, as a result, one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. This issue has an immediate impact on the construction industry as the European Union (EU) Member States concentrate their efforts on increasing the number of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs), following the European directives. NZEBs are buildings that have reduced consumption through energy saving measures and derive a significant part of this consumption from Renewables. Already, all public buildings must be classified asNZEBs by the 1st of January 2019 and mostly, all new buildings should belong to this category by the 1st of January 2021, in order to meet the set objectives for climate change by 2030.
Read more...[English] [Greek]
Internship Programme 2020
FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy gives the opportunity to undergraduate students to be involved in its research for the summer period 2020 (May - September).
Ideal candidates and eligible to apply are the undergraduate students in the Departments of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics and Mathematics from any University.
Read more...[English] [Greek]
We are actively involved! Project Meetings during February - March 2020
In February 2020, members of our team will be travelling to Greece for the kick -off meeting of FEVER project whilst in March 2020, we will have the pleasure to host in Cyprus the partners of FLEXGRID project for the 3rd Project Meeting.
Also, on 13 Feb 2020 we participated at a regional workshop on "Green Islands as a driver for the Energy Transition – Going Renewable and Smart", organized in Athens by the PANTERA project. The workshop focused on the challenges and barriers, along with the best practices and future steps toward greening geographical islands and transforming them to 100% renewable energy systems with the support of technologies that enable their smart autonomous operation.
Berlin Project - 2nd Transnational Meeting in Israel
BERLIN aims to develop cost-effective rehabilitation measures for public buildings in Cyprus Israel, Italy and Greece involving the optimal integration of photovoltaics, energy storage and demand side management. BERLIN will influence positively public authorities and energy stakeholders towards adopting sustainable energy policies leading to sustainable development and more environmentally-friendly practices.
The 2nd transational meeting of the project will take place in Israel during March 2020.
School Educational Visits at PV Technology Lab
During February, we had the pleasure to host the Primary School of Derynia for an educational visit to our premises, whilst 27 third-class primary students visited us as well on 27 Feb 2020, to enhance their knowledge on Photovoltaics.