“V2B Oakland”
Center for Transportation and the Environment, Inc.
Recipient
Atlanta, GA
Recipient Location
$39,095
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
Project efforts are focused on developing the requirements of the battery electric bus vehicle-to-building (V2B) system in preparation for system design, hardware procurement, software development, bus modification, and testing by the end of 2023. The fuel cell electric bus V2B system will be developed and tested 2024.
The Issue
Resilience of electrical infrastructure is a significant and growing problem in California, as a changing climate imposes more extreme weather and increases the incidence of devastating natural disasters, including wildfires. These events can disrupt the electrical grid with simultaneous energy demand that strains capacity or create outages from physical destruction of infrastructure. Utilizing electric vehicles with significant energy storage as mobile generators can reduce site reliance on grid transmission in the event of these emergencies. Communities that are susceptible to power outages can leverage a growing fleet of electric vehicles, including both battery and fuel cell electric vehicles, to supply energy to critical needs facilities and resources. This project implements a “vehicle-to-building” (V2B) solution that not only addresses the state’s resilience objectives, but also increases the value proposition of electric vehicle ownership and operation, specifically for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
Project Innovation
This project partners with electric transit bus manufacturer, New Flyer, to advance and demonstrate bus exportable power systems, which can discharge energy stored on battery and fuel cell electric buses to buildings or critical loads. New Flyer intends to develop this technology into a commercial product for its electric bus platforms. The project will conduct a first-of-its-kind demonstration using electric transit buses to support critical HVAC and air filtration loads at a community facility in West Oakland and critical operation and service loads at an AC Transit bus yard. The project will work with the community-based organization West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project to incorporate the capabilities of the bus exportable power system into their community resilience planning, using it to help mitigate the impacts of natural disasters, wildfire smoke, and extreme heat.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
This project will increase the resilience of the AC Transit bus system and produce significant positive community health impacts by replacing fossil fuel backup power solutions with a zero-emission alternative. Deployment of this technology strengthens the disaster response capabilities of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in Alameda County, and particularly the West Oakland community, by providing a clean and mobile backup power solution to emergency centers. This solution will ensure AC Transit’s zero-emission buses can continue to operate in a widespread power outage event while providing West Oakland residents with a place of shelter during extreme heat or other emergencies.
Environmental Sustainability
This technology avoids fossil fuel use from backup generators. By utilizing the zero-emission buses to support the backup power needs at the facility, ratepayers avoid consumption of about 4.6 diesel gallons per hour. Avoiding the estimated diesel consumption leads to avoidance of 99.9 lb-CO2 per hour, 0.53 lb-CO per hour, 2.5 lb-NOx per hour, and 0.18 lb-PM per hour.
Energy Security
This technology increases site resilience to electric outages. Each battery electric bus vehicle-to-building (V2B) system is expected to provide up to 125 kW of power and 350 kWh of energy to the site. Each fuel cell electric bus V2B system is expected to provide up to 85 kW and 650 kWh of energy to the site.
Key Project Members
Patrick Callahan
Jason Hanlin
Gregor Hintler
Sarah Woogen
John Westerman
John Ahrens
Brydon Owen
Michael McDonald
Brian Beveridge
Joe Callaway
Cecil Blandon
Subrecipients
Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District
Rhombus Energy Solutions, Inc.
Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
New Flyer of America Inc.
The Mobility House, LLC
West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project
Match Partners
Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District
West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project
