Project Beneficiaries
University of Cyprus (Coordinating Partner)
UCY is the leading research University in Cyprus that aspires to promote scholarship and education standards of excellence through teaching and research.
UCY is currently managing competitive research funds that exceed the 50 million Euro mark. Recently, it has revised its research policy in order to increase the efficiency of the University to utilize research funding and opportunities, and to better promote research initiatives in Cyprus.
The new policy adopts the EC declarations for balancing basic and applied research, and provides the necessary administrative support to the academic and research staff. One of the main priorities of the University is to develop further its academic and research portfolio in the field of sustainable energy and in particular in photovoltaics (PV). An integral part of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the UCY is the Photovoltaic Technologies Laboratory which focuses on solar energy research aspects such as long-term outdoor performance monitoring of modules, standardized indoor performance monitoring, accelerated aging studies, novel solar cells, etc.
The PV Technologies Laboratory also provides professional awareness initiatives on renewable energy as well as training courses on practical issues relating to photovoltaic installation, operation and maintenance.
The researchers comprising the working team of the PV Technologies Laboratory have extensive experience in grant proposal applications and project management and have acquired funding for a range of research topics from the EU, the National Research Funding Agency in Cyprus as well as the Electricity Authority of Cyprus and the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority.
Moreover, members of the Laboratory act as expert evaluators for predominantly Energy Proposals within the FP7 and other national initiatives and also represent Cyprus in various relevant European bodies and platforms such as the Energy Committee for the FP7, the SET Plan, European Standards Committees on PV, the EU PV Mirror Group, the PESC Committee of the European Science Foundation, and others.
Contact point:
Dr. George E. Georghiou: geg@ucy.ac.cy
Website: www.pvtechnology.ucy.ac.cy/pvtechnology
Electricity Authority of Cyprus
Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) is a semi-government organization, established in 1952. EAC is responsible for the organisation of generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in Cyprus
EAC has extensive experience in feed-in tariffs schemes regarding renewable sources of energy. The Fits scheme obliges the EAC to buy the electricity produced by independent producers at a fixed price based on its marginal production cost. As a result, EAC has experience in granting and facilitating grid access, accessing and assessing energy production data of distributed producers.
Contact point:
Yiannos Ioannides: yioannid@eac.com.cy
Website: http://www.eac.com.cy
Cyprus Regulatory Authority of Cyprus
The Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) was established by virtue of the Law on Regulating the Electricity Market of 2003 N.122(I)/2003, which was enacted by the House of Representatives on 25 July 2003, for harmonisation purposes with the Aquis Communitaire. This Law establishes CERA also as the Authority responsible for Regulating the Natural Gas Market. The relevant Directive was transposed into national Law by Law 183(I)/2004.
The Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority is an independent authority of the Republic of Cyprus and has executive powers and competences in the Energy Field.
The main statutory objectives of CERA are set out below:
- To encourage, promote and safeguard the healthy and substantial competition in the Electricity and Natural Gas Markets.
- To protect Consumers' interests.
- To promote the development of economically viable and efficient Electricity and Natural Gas Markets.
- To ensure the Security, Continuation, Quality and Reliability of Electricity Supply.
- To take into consideration the Protection of the Environment.
- To encourage the efficient generation and use of Electricity.
- To promote the use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES).
Contact point:
Christos Karayiannis: ckarayiannis@cera.org.cy
Website: http://www.cera.org.cy
Ministry of Agriculture Natural Resources and Environment –
Environment Department
The Department of Environment, of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment (MANRE), is the consulting body for environmental policy issues and coordinator of environment related projects/ programmes.
It has the overall responsibility of environmental policy implementation and coordination of procedures. In particular, the Environment Department of MANRE is the chair of the climate change committee as well as the environmental impact assessment committee and it is occupied with issues of sustainable management of different waste streams, climate change, nature protection and land use such as the protection of biodiversity, coastal zone management, land planning and environment, desertification and environmental awareness and information.
As far as climate change is concerned, the Department of Environment is assigned with the implementation of mitigation and adaptation strategies and the monitoring of greenhouse gases emissions.
Additionally, the Environment Department constitutes the national focal point of several intergovernmental organisations such as CSD, MCSD, SMAP, MAP, INFOTERRA and UNEP, and of various Conventions such as the CITES Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters and the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, etc.
Contact Point:
Dr Theodoulos Mesimeris: tmesimeris@environment.moa.gov.cy
Website: http://www.cyprus.gov.cy/environment
Deloitte Limited
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT) is one of the world’s leading professional services firms. Deloitte is one of the largest and fastest-growing professional organisations in Cyprus providing a full range of services through more than 500 people from offices in all major cities. Our core services include audit, tax, consulting and financial advisory services.
Deloitte is a leading provider of professional services to electric power companies and electric and gas utilities worldwide, offering a wide range of industry-tailored services. In Cyprus, Deloitte houses several professionals focused on the renewable energy sector, with significant experience in assisting clients with activities involving different renewable technologies, including photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind and biogas.
Our clients include foreign and local enterprises developing renewable energy projects, industry associations and prospective investors in the renewable energy sector. The services offered to our clients extend over the areas of audit and assurance, tax, financial advisory and consulting. Specifically, the Financial Advisory Services department has vast experience and expertise in offering valuation services, business planning, business modeling, funding advice, financial due diligence, mergers and acquisition advice and transaction support services, all of which are designed to cater for the needs of an organization or project at any stage of its development.
Keeping up with a constantly changing environment and with the new challenges faced by both the public and private sectors in Cyprus, Deloitte’s Financial Advisory Department has created the Grants & Incentives Unit to deal with funding opportunities arising mainly, but not exclusively, from the European Union (EU). More specifically the services provided in this context include inter alia, Information Dissemination, Notification and Partnering Services, Preparation of Proposals and Project Management. The Grants & Incentives Unit in Cyprus is part of the European Grants & Incentives Network of Deloitte, which comprises of over 150 professionals who are active in most of the EU Member States, as well as in other countries around the world.
Contact Point:
Nicos S. Kyriakides: nkyriakides@deloitte.com
Website: www.deloitte.com/cy