Through its Clean Transportation Program, the California Energy Commission (CEC) has granted a $2.9 million award to a project team led by The Mobility House to implement 12 bidirectional chargers at four California school locations. The Replicable V2X Deployment For Schools (RVXDS) project will use school bus fleets to mitigate regional grid emergencies, especially during peak summertime windows.
The project will use replicable, open standards throughout the vehicles, hardware, and software.
It will be among the first Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) connected systems installed in PG&E territory. Three of the schools will export power from their buses during peak windows in the summer earning the districts $2 per kWh through the Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP), helping keep the distribution system of their communities from overloading.
One school will use bidirectional functionality for V2B resilience, acting as a community resilience hub at their high school.
“Our interest is to establish real-world examples of V2G projects that other districts can easily replicate,” said Greg Hintler, CEO of North America at The Mobility House. “Through this project, we aim to reduce congestion on the same circuits by reducing the need for imported power, thus benefitting three school districts, the State of California, and grid reliability.”
All project learnings will be captured in a Blueprint report, guiding districts across the state on how to incorporate V2G into their school bus charging operations. This project will provide financial benefits, improve grid reliability, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support disadvantaged communities during grid interruption.
The Mobility House has assembled a team of partners that includes World Resources Institute, Center for Transportation and the Environment, and Polara Energy USA to support Pittsburg Unified School District, Fremont Unified School District, and the Napa Unified School District.
“This project is a game-changer for our district, marking a significant stride in our journey towards a sustainable future,” said Matthew Belasco, director of Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation at the Pittsburg Unified School District. “It not only brings financial relief, but also strengthens our community’s resilience. We are thrilled to be part of this endeavour, demonstrating the potential of electric school buses to other districts across the state and setting a new standard for transportation in education.”
Filed Under: Technology News