The KIOS Center of Excellence at the University of Cyprus is collaborating with two enterprises, Aeolian Dynamics and H. Wise Wire Energy Solutions, towards the development of a decision-support platform to optimize operation and market participation of renewable energy generation plants equipped with battery energy storage systems (BESS).
This collaboration is within the context of the “OptimRES” project, funded by Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF through the European Union’s NextGenerationEU initiative and the Recovery and Resilience Plan of Cyprus (Cyprus – Tomorrow).
As Europe rapidly moves toward a climate-neutral economy, the deployment of renewable energy source (RES) technologies, such as wind and solar, is expected to rise. However, challenges such as RES intermittency and grid capacity constraints threaten to hinder the full realization of green energy potential. OptimRES addresses these issues by developing an intelligent platform that equips RES and hybrid RES-BESS plant owners with advanced decision-making tools.
More specifically, the platform will integrate novel forecasting, planning, bidding, and real-time control functionalities to support:
- Optimization tools for the sizing and planning of renewable generation facilities.
- Data analytics and forecasting for real-time monitoring of RES-BESS operation, incorporating historical data and predicted performance.
- Intelligent decision-making for profit-optimized participation in the day-ahead electricity market, accounting for generation uncertainty and battery degradation.
- Real-time control to minimize power imbalances during operation and reduce penalty cost associated with power deviations.
A key novelty of the project is its real-world pilot demonstration at a generation plant in Cyprus that combines wind turbines, photovoltaics, and battery storage. The OptimRES platform is currently under development and has already been integrated with the pilot site, enabling bidirectional data exchange for visualization and control. In the coming months, the platform will also incorporate novel RES forecasting, bidding decision-making, and real-time control capabilities to fully unlock its potential and demonstrate its innovative features in real-life environment.
OptimRES is set to play a pivotal role in enhancing the profitability and reliability of renewable energy integration, minimizing RES curtailments, supporting the broader shift toward a decarbonized and stable power system.
