ABOUT ELECTRA

ELECTRA is a three-year Research & Innovation (R&I) project commencing 01 June 2020 and running until 31 May 2023. The project team comprises 9 organisations from 3 countries. The project coordinator is UCY, based in Cyprus. The project name, ELECTRA, is a shortened form of the long title: Modernising the distribution grid for Enabling high penetration of photovoltaic ELECTRicity through Advanced data analytic operational observability and management.

SUMMARY

Solar energy is vital for the future energy mix of Cyprus and in order to enable large-scale deployment and increase the competitiveness of photovoltaic (PV) technology (both technical and economical), it is important to primarily to safeguard optimal grid integration by modernizing and transforming the distribution grid. This is in line and responds to the objectives of the specific Call for smart growth, S3Cy Priority Sector 2. Energy, Focus area: 2.4.3 Networks for Energy Transportation and Distribution. It is with this background that the ELECTRA project has been initiated in order to establish a solid research network between partners that will actively embark jointly to target the research challenges in the area of integrating high shares solar PV and specifically, to modernize the future distribution grid, through the active involvement of all key components of the quadruple helix (research, enterprises, end user representatives, policy makers. The project facilitates a long-range, interdisciplinary cooperation of the main energy-related actors in Cyprus that embark holistically to address the timely challenge of energy decarbonization by enabling higher shares of PV at the distribution grid. Finally, the concerted scientific activities of the project scope to develop and validate an innovative adaptive multi-service distribution management architecture (smart grid toolset) that enables the flexible operation of future distribution systems with a high penetration of distributed energy.

INNOVATION

The scientific breakthrough of the project lies primarily in the holistic approach to address critical challenges that prevent high levels of photovoltaic penetration in smart grids by implementing smart distribution system planning tools, novel grid control functionalities through programmable automation controllers and coordinating interaction of RES system assets through grid operation-state estimation models for distribution feeders with high RES shares. In addition, by balancing demand and supply of electricity through flexibility activities (supply side with forecasting RES production and demand-side with demand side management) and storage, potential grid constraints can be mitigated by introducing energy flow scalability and adaptability.

ADDED VALUE

The added value and benefit emanating from the implementation of the project is expected to cover scientific and technological, environmental and socio-economic aspects. Specifically, the proposed project aims to transform the distribution system in Cyprus which is ‘destined’, with more and more PV penetration and in parallel to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of PV technology by promoting new forms of innovation with high short-term (scientific, technological) and long-term impact (economic, environmental and societal). Furthermore, the project focuses to advance in the field of future digital grid architectures and optimize operations (observability and management) within more dynamic and active distribution grid topologies. Moreover, the project scopes to turn the research results into an innovative product which will be exploited through economically viable channels and target market needs as there is no solution at present to offer the proposed services.

FUNDING

ELECTRA has received funding from the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union under the grant agreement number INTEGRATED/0918/0071.