Do fleets of electric school buses require V2G?
Successful applicants for the EPA's electric school bus subsidies may be unsure about how to begin organising their fleets of electric buses now that they have received their funding notification. School bus fleet owners may have questions regarding the technology given the recent excitement surrounding the idea of bidirectional charging, including vehicle-to-grid (V2G), as a potential source of energy for the grid and money for fleet operators in the future.
Why does bidirectional charging matter for fleets, and how?
In “vehicle-to-anything” (V2X) applications, such as V2G and off-grid applications like vehicle-to-building (V2B) or vehicle-to-home, power from an EV battery is transmitted through a charging station to numerous targets (V2H). In comparison to supplying electricity to individual buildings or fleet microgrids, sending electricity to the grid entails more complexity, including establishing grid connectivity. In order to support their operational demands, bidirectional charging programmes may be able to support fleet operators, drivers, and EV charging site hosts if, when, and how.
Bidirectional charging uses V2G, V2B, and other protocols.
The markets and technology behind bidirectional charging are still in their infancy. For fleets to assess the costs and advantages of bidirectional charging, consistent availability of identical programmes in all markets is required. Recently, PG&E became the first utility to announce a V2G tariff for commercial customers (limited to three years). To level the playing field and allow significant participation by EV charging companies, grid operators and federal authorities must modernise the laws and regulations governing the energy market.
Why V2G or not, electric school buses will be successful
Electric school buses are hailed as a potential use case for V2G initiatives because to their predictable routes, lengthy downtimes between duty cycles, and ability to dependably plug in at particular times of the day that may be advantageous to the grid. School buses may also be candidates to help the grid during heat waves and other peak demand events due to summertime service reductions.
Bidirectional charging program have been successful in delivering energy from buses back to the grid during periods of high demand, and some analyses predict potential revenue from such program of $5,000 to $10,000 per bus per year. The income these uncontracted “merchant” V2G initiatives produce is unpredictable because they can alter from year to year.
Studies suggest EVs could deliver $50,000 in overall savings per bus per year, with estimates of 80% lower energy costs and 60% lower maintenance costs. Estimates for the core payoff from fueling and maintenance savings by switching from diesel to electricity are much clearer, more reliable, and larger. Additionally, electric fleets can expect to save money on operations because power prices are significantly more consistent than diesel and gas prices.
How school bus fleets can succeed with electrification right away
V2G is still in its early phases, therefore fleets should concentrate on many other high-impact initiatives right now to save costs and maximise advantages from electrification. Setting up software to maximise EV charging is a crucial step, in addition to establishing enough electricity and EV charging stations.
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