Renewable Energy Research

Mission

The Renewable Energy Research Laboratory was founded in September of 2011 with a mission to investigate and research Renewable Energy Systems (RES) as an alternative energy source. Its main areas include Renewable Energy and Sustainable Systems, Geothermal energy Systems, Hybrid Renewable Systems and Energy Storage. Head of the Lab is Assistant Professor Paul Christodoulides with its base in Cyprus University of Technology in Limassol, Cyprus.

Our aims include:

  1. Introduce and further analyze Ground Source Heat Pump Systems in moderate climate, such as in Cyprus
  2. Determine Ground Thermal Characteristics of different soil and area in Cyprus with the overall aim to generate a geothermal map of Cyprus
  3.  Computational modelling, Numerical modeling techniques are used, including the use of transient simulations and artificial intelligence techniques, to model Ground Heat Exchanges, Energy Systems and ground thermal characteristics.
  4. To perform building load analysis and examine measures towards a Zero Energy Building using RES.
  5. Examine the economic aspect and viability of RES in moderate climate

Research

  • 2019/23 Research network for including Geothermal technologies into Decarbonized Heating and Cooling grids Geothermal-DHC, COST Action CA18219, (MC Cyprus) 150K/year
  • 2015/19 Industrial Thermal Energy Recovery Conversion and Management I-ThERM, H2020-EE-2015-1-PPP, European Union, (CUT coordinator) 4M (145K)
  • 2015/19 European network for shallow geothermal energy applications in buildings and infrastructures GABI, Transport and Urban Development COST Action TU1405, 150K/year
  • 2012/14 Investigation and determination of the geothermal parameters of the lithologies in Cyprus, for the compilation of the geothermal map of the island, Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation, Cyprus, (coordinator) 95K
  • 2008/10 Investigation and determination of the geothermal parameters of the ground in Cyprus, for use in the design of ground heat exchangers and heat pumps, Technology/Energy / 0308(ΒΙΕ)/15, co-funded by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation (RPF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), (coordinator) 150k

Collaborations

  • Brunel University, West London
  • Geological Survey Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Lefkosia, Cyprus
  • Cyprus Energy Service, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism

Facilities

Our Laboratory/ Research facility is based and operated in the Cyprus University of Technology. Our Lavatory owns a variety of equipment including thermal conductivity devices by Hukseflux and Isomet with both needle probes and surface probes. But mostly our team focuses on Computational and Numerical modelling using our expertise in the selected available software (with educational license): COMSOL Multiphysics, Matlab, TRNSYS, Flex PDE, GLD, Solidworks and Autocad.

Most of the measurements or the Ground Heat Exchangers (GHEs) are made in the fields, using the known method of Thermal Response Testing (TRT) with a mobile test unit by injecting a constant power (heat) into the ground and measure the inlet and outlet temperature of the tubes.