PHAETHON CoE is a Key Contributor to Delivering a Smart Energy Campus at UCY
PHAETHON CoE is a Key Contributor to Delivering a Smart Energy Campus at UCY
The University of Cyprus strategic objective to transform into a green, smart, and sustainable campus is in full swing, with the PHAETHON Centre of Excellence at the heart of implementing key aspects of this large-scale and consequential blueprint project.
The PHAETHON Centre of Excellence’s work in this critical undertaking is being realised through an earmarked grant of €700,000, as part of the “Smart and Green Energy Management” Project, which has a total budget of €8.1 million and is being co-funded by the EU (85%) and the University of Cyprus (15%) within the framework of the Cohesion Policy Programme “THALIA 2021-2027”.
This multipronged project to transform the University’s energy landscape will generate numerous benefits, which, among others, include substantially reducing the operating costs of the organisation, increasing the use of clean renewable energy, contributing to the protection of the environment, and cultivating energy awareness among the general public, as well as providing better and greener services to the University’s community and beyond.
Moreover, the project’s overall objectives are in line with and fully serve the European and national Energy Transition goals, while also contributing to the achievement of several UN Sustainable Development Goals, namely: “Affordable and clean energy” (SDG 7), with an increase in renewable shares; “Responsible Consumption and Production” (SDG 12), by improving energy efficiency; and “Climate Action” (SDG 13), by reducing pollution.
In this context, PHAETHON CoE is committed to doing its part, working in close collaboration with the Office of the Vice Rector for International Affairs, Finance and Administration (Prof. Ioannis Giapintzakis) and the University’s Technical Services to render the new UCY Campus the first Smart Energy Community of its kind in Cyprus; one that will become a testbed for the development and testing of new technologies that can be applied to other public and private sector organisations throughout the island.
As part of this, PHAETHON CoE is:
- Directly involved in the creation of the UCY Apollon PV Park, a pioneering utility-scale PV project featuring integrated battery storage (PV/BESS system) that will enable the electrification of the campus and lead to a substantial reduction in emissions.
- Coordinating the activities for the transformation of the UCY campus into a Smart Energy Campus through the use and deployment of novel intelligent, efficient, and sustainable energy management solutions. This includes advanced real-time monitoring and control of energy flows (thermal and electrical) and energy systems (intelligent energy devices, RES, and building management systems).
Importantly, this flagship project (Smart Energy Campus) will render the campus a “Living Lab” blueprint platform for the design and benchmarking of clean-tech smart solutions, providing tangible impact evidence to other organisations, to replicate solutions from the Living Lab to the country (Smart Energy Cyprus), the region (Smart Energy Region), and beyond.
Stay tuned for more developments and pioneering outcomes in our University’s transformation to a Smart Energy Campus.