First PV charging station for electric vehicles launched

Cyprus Public Transport (CPT) has launched its first photovoltaic station for charging electric vehicles (EV) with embedded battery storage for commercial use.

The project marks a national first and reflects a growing shift towards sustainable mobility. Installed at CPT’s facilities in Geri, outside Nicosia, the station combines solar power generation, energy storage, and EV charging in one smart system.

In a statement released on Monday, CPT said the station was developed in collaboration with Ecotricity Holdings Ltd and subcontractor Huawei Greece. The initiative is part of a wider EU-funded project called EMS4PVBEV, short for “advanced energy management system using artificial Intelligence for photovoltaic-based EV charging stations with embedded batteries”.

The system uses a Huawei smart string energy storage system (LUNA2000) with a capacity of 97kWh, which was thoroughly tested by the Electricity authority of Cyprus. It officially began operating on May 15.

Early data shows the station is already powering CPT’s electric bus fleet using solar energy. The system boosts the company’s energy independence, allowing them to rely less on the national grid and reduce long-term costs.

According to CPT, the innovation will improve EV charging efficiency, increase the use of clean energy, and lower operating expenses.

Andreas Demetriades, CPT’s director of technology and innovation and the project coordinator, described the launch as “a major milestone on our path towards a smarter, more efficient transport network, with clear environmental responsibility”.