ESTELLE, which stands for Energy storage and power-to-x technologies for optimal integration of renewable generation, is a project which is being led by the Department of Industrial Electrical Power Conversion (IEPC) of the Faculty of Engineering and . This project is financed by the Energy and Water Agency under the National Strategy for research and Innovation in Energy and Water 2021-2030.
Through this, research shall be carried out on how battery energy storage systems (BESS) can help alleviate and mitigate the issues brought about with large scale integration of PV systems on a domestic and industrial scale. With the support of Enemalta plc, detailed power flow studies are being carried out on how the electrical distribution network performs under the ever-increasing generation from Photovoltaic (PV) installations on the Maltese islands.
Following these studies, the project shall focus on ‘behind-the-meter’ systems which allow for the optimal control of distributed domestic battery-based systems for the Maltese islands. The aim of these storage systems shall be to allow such domestic installations to contribute in increasing the efficiency of operation of the electricity network. By proper control strategies, these systems can be used for peak shaving functionality and also for the control of the reverse power flow during periods of high PV generation.
The project shall also aim at proposing technical solutions, processes or services for the effective integration of these technologies. Dr. Alexander Micallef is leading the research team which also consists of Prof. Ing. Cyril Spiteri Staines and Ing. Ryan Xuereb.
