European Union’s energy targets for 2030 include the transformation of the building stock to Nearly Zero Energy Buildings - nZEBs. NZEBs are characterized by reduced net-energy demand, where most of their energy needs are met by renewable energy sources, especially Photovoltaics. Consequently, in the following years, a considerable amount of intermittent solar generators will be connected in the electrical grid posing new challenges concerning the secure and reliable grid operation. As the number of NZEBs increases, PV integration in the distribution grids of BalkanMed region will be very difficult, unless buildings become more grid-friendly and policies and regulations are suitably adapted. High PV penetration levels may result in unacceptable stress on the electrical grids during hours with high solar power generation. The most important technical challenges that may arise include overvoltages, overloading of network equipment, and fault protection issues. To effectively address these challenges, the integration of Energy Storage Systems in NZEBs is considered as the most promising solution. 

The primary goal of PV ESTIA project is to:

-Enhance the integration of Photovoltaics and Energy Storage Systems in the building environment in 5 pilot areas, thus facilitating the transition towards Nearly Zero Energy Buildings.

-Identify and tackle barriers in PV deployment

-Provide a new energy management solution for residential and commercial buildings, taking into consideration potential interactions with the electrical grid

-Transform buildings into a controllable energy source

-Design and implement proper policies and regulations

The main project outputs are:

-An innovative management scheme of PV+storage hybrid, making buildings grid-friendlier

-A generalized model assessing alternative policies related to implementation of such hybrids;

-An online tool providing profitability estimation of such systems

-An advanced tool evaluating multiple policy scenarios

-Set of joint regulation recommendations in the form of roadmap for BM region and joint policy recommendations targeting grid operators and relevant stakeholders 

In the framework of the PV-ESTIA project, the performance of the proposed Innovative Management Scheme will be thoroughly evaluated under real-field conditions. All pilot installations are selected carefully with the aim to examine if and how the size of the Energy Storage Systems and the different geographical conditions affect the performance of the proposed innovative management scheme. The two groups of pilot installations include the following cities:

• Kozani, Greece
• Nicosia, Cyprus
• Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• Skopje, Macedonia
• Thessaloniki, Greece