Interview with Aimilios Orfanos, CEO & Founder at ReVolta

What makes an energy storage system truly smart? For Aimilios Orfanos, CEO and Founder of ReVolta, the answer lies in how well its components communicate, how effectively data is used, and how intelligently the system responds to changing needs. In this interview, he shares ReVolta's contribution to HiHELIOS, explaining how smart control and real-time monitoring can help hybrid energy storage systems work more efficiently across different real-world settings. From fast-charging stations to island communities like Tilos, he explores how these technologies can support more reliable energy systems, make better use of renewable energy and pave the way for smarter, more flexible energy storage across Europe.

ReVolta has a strong background in control, communication and energy management. How does this expertise translate into your contribution to HiHELIOS, and what role do you see ReVolta playing in bringing the different elements of the project together?

Our work at ReVolta has always been where batteries meet the grid and the market. That means getting reliable data out of the hardware, making sense of it, and sending back the right setpoint at the right time. In HiHELIOS we bring this experience to the control architecture of the hybrid system. That covers the upper layer, which plans how the storage should operate based on forecasts, prices and site needs, and its communication with the on-site power and battery management systems. A hybrid system that combines LFP or supercapacitors with second-life NMC only creates value if each part is used for what it does best. We see our role as a link between components, partners and use cases. We make sure that what is developed in the lab speaks the same language as the equipment on site, and that the control logic can be carried from one demonstrator to the next.

HiHELIOS will be tested in very different real-world environments. How can the system “understand” what is needed in each situation and decide how best to respond?

Each site has its own priority. A fast-charging station in Norway has to absorb sharp power peaks. A HESS installed in a small settlement on Tilos has to keep EV chargers and local loads running without congesting a weak network. The municipal station has to be able to restart the grid after a blackout. The system does not need to guess. It combines three inputs: forecasts of weather, demand and prices; real-time measurements from the site; and a clear ranking of services agreed with the site operator. The planning layer builds a schedule for the coming hours, and the on-site layer reacts within seconds when reality moves away from the plan. The same logic decides which storage technology to use: the high-power side for short, sharp events and the high-energy side for longer shifts. Because each site is set up by configuration rather than by rewriting the software, the approach can be replicated.

Energy systems are becoming increasingly connected and data-driven. How can turning the data generated by an energy storage system into useful information help us operate energy systems more intelligently?

A battery produces a large amount of data every few seconds: voltages, temperatures, currents and state of charge. On its own this is just noise. Turned into information, it tells you how much flexibility the asset can really offer today, how fast it is ageing, what that ageing costs, and when something is about to fail. That changes how you operate. You can commit capacity to the grid or the market with more confidence, plan maintenance before a failure instead of after it, and judge whether a cycle is worth the wear it causes. This matters even more for the second-life batteries used in HiHELIOS, because their history and health vary from one pack to the next. Good diagnostics are what turn them into a reliable asset rather than a risk.

Looking ahead, what would you like to see become possible with smarter and more connected energy storage systems that is difficult to achieve today?

I would like storage to be treated as standard grid infrastructure that can be connected, qualified and put to work quickly, anywhere. Today many batteries are underused because of connection delays, fragmented market rules, and integration work that has to be redone for every project. Smarter, interoperable systems can change that through plug-and-play communication with grid operators, aggregation of many small assets into a meaningful resource, and a clear view of each battery's health and value throughout its life, including a second life. Tilos shows what is at stake: if a small island community can run largely on local renewables, with storage providing stability, the same model can work in many places across Europe.