Electric bus depot powered by solar opens in Maryland

Montgomery County, Maryland unveiled the the Brookville Smart Energy Bus Depot this week. The depot will allow up to 70 electric buses to be charged by a solar canopy and battery storage. Transitioning 70 buses from diesel to electric, powered by the on-site clean energy microgrid, will reduce lifetime emissions by 62%, equivalent to more than 160,000 tons of greenhouse gases over the next 25 years according to Arup, the engineering firm involved in designing the project.

The microgrid at the bus depot will provide uninterrupted power to transit buses and in the long-term will run on 100% renewable energy in alignment with the Montgomery County’s goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2035.

Electric buses deliver numerous benefits to the communities they serve

1. By eliminating diesel exhaust emissions, particulate pollution and pollutants that contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, they improve the air quality in our communities.

2. They produce significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than diesel, diesel hybrid and natural gas-powered buses. Replacing all of the country’s diesel-powered transit buses with electric buses could eliminate more than 2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year.

3. Electric buses can deliver financial benefits, including substantially reduced maintenance costs and, in places where utility rate policies are favorable, reduced fuel costs.

4. By reducing air pollution, electric buses can also deliver significant societal benefits, including avoided healthcare expenses resulting from cleaner air.

Electric buses have the potential to bring even greater benefits if they are equipped with technology that allows them to deliver power to buildings and back to the grid. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology enables electric school buses to provide stability, capacity and emergency power to the grid when needed, and potentially to earn revenue for school districts for providing these and other services.