In December of 2016, the Department of Energy announced that they would be awarding $15M to organizations in an effort to accelerate the adoption of advanced and alternative fuel vehicles. Blue Bird Corporation, a bus manufacturer located in Fort Valley, GA, was presented the largest amount at $4.4M in order to develop a zero-emissions, 100% V2G electric school bus.
“As the leader in alternative fuel bus solutions, the addition of an electric school bus rounds out our portfolio,” says Phil Horlock, President and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “Thanks to this award from the Department of Energy, we will be able to pursue the development of this technology based on our many years of research. As we celebrate our 90th anniversary in 2017, the timing of this grant is impeccable!”
One of the stipulations of the award is that the bus will be an affordable, ‘low cost’ electric bus solution. Additionally, Blue Bird is looking to implement technology, known as V2G, that will allow the bus to put electricity back into the grid – which may help bring much-needed funds to school districts. “This initiative will provide resources to explore alternative fuels for school transportation while sending energy back to the grid,” said Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. “The development of a low-cost electric school bus is an investment that could save state resources in the long term.
V2G is a version of battery-to-grid power applied to vehicles. There are three main different versions of the vehicle-to-grid concept, all of which involve an onboard battery:
- A hybrid or Fuel cell vehicle, which generates power from storable fuel, uses its generator to produce power for a utility at peak electricity usage times. Here the vehicles serve as a distributed generation system, producing power from conventional fossil fuels, biofuels or hydrogen.
- A battery-powered or plug-in hybrid vehicle which uses its excess rechargeable battery capacity to provide power to the electric grid in response to peak load demands. These vehicles can then be recharged during off-peak hours at cheaper rates while helping to absorb excess night time generation. Here the vehicles serve as a distributed battery storage system to buffer power.[5]
- A solar vehicle which uses its excess charging capacity to provide power to the electric grid when the battery is fully charged. Here the vehicle effectively becomes a small renewable energy power station. Such systems have been in use since the 1990s and are routinely used in the case of large vehicles, especially solar-powered boats.
It should also be noted that besides vehicles which have an onboard battery, vehicles without a large battery, but which connect to/recharge a battery placed at the house (for example being part of an off-the-grid electrical system or net metering system) could in effect form a vehicle-to-grid system. Even a renewable energy source (like wood gas) could be used.[8]
A Cost Benefit Analysis of a V2G-Capable Electric School Bus Compared to a Traditional Diesel School Bus Article as Accepted for Publication Published at: Noel, L. & McCormack R. 2014. A cost benefit analysis of a V2G-capable electric school bus compared to a traditional diesel school bus. Applied Energy, 126: 246-265. Authors: Lance Noel1 ([email protected]) (corresponding author) and Regina McCormack1 ([email protected]) 1 Center for Carbon-Free Power Integration, University of Delaware ISE Lab, Newark, DE 19716 Abstract Fuel expenses, diesel exhaust health externalities, and climate change are concerns that encourage the use of electric vehicles. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) policies provide additional economic incentives. This analysis evaluates the costs and benefits associated with the use of electric vehicles and determines the cost effectiveness of using a V2G-capable electric school bus compared to a traditional diesel school bus. Several factors were analyzed, including fuel expense, electricity and battery costs, health externalities, and frequency regulation market price. The V2G-capable electric bus provides the school savings of $6,070 per seat in net present value and becomes a net present benefit after five years of operation. Without externalities, the net present benefit would be $5,700 per seat. If the entire school district’s fleet switched to V2G-capable electric buses, the net present savings would be upwards of $38 million. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine how the factors influenced the costs and benefits. In all cases, purchasing an electric school bus is consistently a net present benefit. Policies could be set into place to incentivize public school adoption of electric buses, encourage more efficient batteries, and develop V2G capabilities. Keywords: electric vehicle; V2G; cost-benefit analysis; school bus; climate change mitigation; diesel
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