SmartCharge project has concluded in March 2026. Over the course of the project, it has developed an intelligent platform for electric vehicle charging stations that integrates renewable energy sources, energy storage systems, and advanced optimization algorithms. Its goal is to make EV charging more cost-effective, flexible, and supportive of the power grid.
As electric vehicle (EV) adoption grows, charging demand and renewable energy variability create new operational challenges for power systems. SmartCharge responds to these challenges by enabling charging stations to operate as active, intelligent components of the energy system. The developed platform will manage EV charging, local renewable generation, and storage in real time to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance grid support.
Using optimization, control, and artificial intelligence techniques, SmartCharge is built around four main innovation areas:
- Optimized EV charging operation: advanced algorithms determine charging and discharging schedules for EVs and storage systems, balancing profitability, renewable energy use, and grid support.
- Intelligent pricing mechanisms: dynamic pricing schemes are designed to guide user behaviour and align charging demand with energy availability and system conditions.
- SmartEVCharge platform: a software platform that integrates optimization, monitoring, and control functions, while providing real-time decision support and performance visualization.
- Commercialization framework: assessment of market potential and business pathways to support large-scale deployment of the solution.
SmartCharge contributes to the decarbonization of both transport and energy systems while also strengthening collaboration between industry and research.
The project has received funding from the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation Programmes for Reseach, Technology, Development and Innovation “Restart 2016-2020” under grant agreement COM-CONCEPT-ENERGY/0624/0157.
