The University of Cyprus (UCY), a YERUN member since 2021, has completed the first year of operation of its Apollon PV Park.
Since September 2025, the 5 MWp plant has generated 8,149 MWh (8.1 GWh) of solar electricity, avoiding an estimated 5,294 tonnes of CO₂ based on the Electricity Authority of Cyprus’s actual 2025 grid emission factor. The park is paired with a 3.3 MWh / 1.65 MW battery, the first large-scale storage installation of its kind in Cyprus, designed to cover roughly half of the campus’s current electricity needs.
Why it matters for young universities
UCY was established in 1989, and Apollon shows what a young research university can do when it treats its own campus as a testbed for the green transition. The project is co-financed by the EU under the THALIA 2021–2027 Cohesion Policy programme, which makes it a concrete example of how European investment turns into infrastructure, data and know-how on the ground.
“The Apollon PV Park is a clear example of the University of Cyprus’s commitment to sustainable development,” said Prof. Tasos Christofides, Rector of the University of Cyprus. “As a young research university, we believe our campus should be a testbed as much as our labs are — and in its first year, Apollon’s battery has already shown how storage can turn a curtailment constraint into an opportunity, capturing solar energy that would otherwise be lost.”
What comes next
Apollon is one element of UCY’s vision of a sustainable and smart campus. The University is working on wider modernisation of its energy infrastructure, including geothermal heat pumps, district heating and cooling, and smart energy streams modelling. Furthermore, the University plans to expand the PV park and double its capacity to 10 MWp.
Working together
UCY would welcome exchanges with other YERUN universities on integrating renewable energy and storage on campus, and on linking campus infrastructure to teaching, doctoral training and research.
