The innovative OptiMEMS software framework from the Information Technology Institute (ITI) of the Centre for Research and Technology – Hellas (CERTH) won the second prize – among more than 100 submitted proposals – in the panhellenic competition for green innovation “Greenathon” 20 organised by the Secretariat for Natural Environment and Water of the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Organization for Natural Environment and Climate Change.
The Greenathon finals took place on September 12, 2021 at the 85th Thessaloniki International Fair, where Angelina Bintoudi, research associate of CERTH/ITI and PhD candidate of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, represented the OptiMEMS team and competed with 12 teams.
The OptiMEMS framework is the brain for the building blocks of the future Smart Grid. The congested electrical distribution network now requires smart solutions to increase the rate of integration of renewable energy sources. Microgrids have been identified as a promising solution in this direction, since they are fully controlled, autonomous entities that generate, store and consume electricity either interconnected or not from the main distribution grid. In this context, a team of CERTH/ITI engineers developed the OptiMEMS framework, which was designed as a holistic automatic controller for the new generation microgrids. It is a complete solution for the optimal energy management of a microgrid, including production and storage units, electric vehicles and controllable smart loads.
OptiMEMS is also complemented by a fully customizable per-application web-based user-friendly interface through which users can visualise every technical and economic aspect of the microgrid operation.
The developed framework integrates seamlessly different heterogeneous technologies such as optimisation techniques, machine learning, deep learning, dynamic simulations, open protocols (e.g. OpenADR, OCPP), distributed meters and sensors incorporated in the larger IoT notion, visual analytics and custom hardware devices.
For three years now, OptiMEMS has proved its highly profitable and environmentally-friendly performance through its application on the first interconnected microgrid in Greece, the ITI SmartHome, located in the CERTH premises. At the same time, OptiMEMS has been piloted in larger industrial building installations and at Smart City level to optimally operate V1G / V2G e-mobility infrastructure, thus making it a horizontal solution to the challenges of Smart Networks 2.0.