Twelve electric school buses topped with solar
panels will also serve local schools as part of revolutionary
demonstration project
BROOKLYN, N.Y., Oct. 22,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Brooklyn community is on the brink of a
transformative change, as the electrification of school buses
promises to drastically reduce emissions, eliminate noise
pollution, and lead the charge against climate change. Student
transportation and electrification leader, First Student, along
with Con Edison, one of the world's largest energy delivery systems
serving New York City and
Westchester County, are
spearheading this electric revolution.
Through the launch of their innovative demonstration project, a
smart energy hub will be deployed to support the speedy and
cost-efficient electrification of school buses in the neighborhood.
This groundbreaking project will deliver a scalable, cost-optimized
solution that addresses economic barriers for medium and heavy-duty
fleet electrification, showcasing how to achieve ambitious
electrification goals and paving the way for a brighter, greener
future.
This novel demonstration project will also include a fleet of 12
electric school buses for Brooklyn
schools. The electric buses will be topped with solar panels and
will replace diesel buses at First Student's location on Malta
Street. The panels, along with solar arrays on the rooftop of the
facility, will create a unique energy generation, battery storage
and power delivery system.
The demonstration project positions Brooklyn at the core of a revolutionary
approach to expand the capabilities of power grids in cities. This
project has the potential to boost local grids while simultaneously
storing and generating clean energy, and then delivering that power
at moments when and where it is needed most. It is also a potential
cost saver for rate payers. By using above-ground infrastructure,
this approach eliminates the need for complex, expensive,
construction-heavy projects and allows for quicker deployment
speeds for future improvements.
For this project, First Student will deploy its innovative First
Charge solution, a trenchless power deployment approach. First
Charge reduces construction costs by at least 30% and enables a
more efficient deployment, even in cold winter climates or where
trenching would be disruptive to residents and businesses. This
First Charge solution will also make it easier to upgrade the
charging system for future deployments, adding flexibility and
efficiency for vehicle electrification build outs.
The project surpasses traditional vehicle-to-grid (V2G)
technology, creating a new era of power sourcing:
Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X). V2X goes beyond simply plugging
electric school bus batteries back into the grid, expanding instead
to include the capacity to direct electricity delivery where it is
needed. In summer months, when the buses are idle, and energy needs
soar, or during emergencies, the smart energy hub significantly
increases capacity, generating additional power for Con Edison.
"Harnessing electricity from First Student electric school bus
batteries to create an emissions free smart energy hub that can
serve a community during peak demand while turbocharging America's
fight against climate change is truly revolutionary," said First
Student CEO and President John
Kenning. "First Student's unparalleled battery storage
capacity and pioneering First Charge technology solves an immediate
need in many American communities: affordable, clean electricity
supply that expands the capabilities of existing power grids. We do
this all while providing a better experience for students by
putting more electric buses on the roads, creating a safer, more
enjoyable ride that's healthier for students and better for the
environment."
The demonstration project in Brooklyn comes as school bus electrification
gains momentum nationwide. First Student has approximately 2,000
electric school buses under contract in school districts across the
U.S. and more than 360 EVs deployed. The company co-designed the
system using several advanced charging technologies that can
deliver megawatts of power instantaneously, enough to power 5,000
houses for a year to Brooklyn, New
York.
"New York's children and
families deserve clean air, which is why we are proud to partner
with First Student to launch more electric school buses on our
streets," said Britt Reichborn-Kjennerud, director, E-Mobility, Con
Edison. "Con Edison will continue to make critical investments in
clean energy so that every New Yorker can have a higher quality of
life and thrive in communities free from the harmful impacts of
pollution."
"EQT is proud of First Student's work toward accelerating the
realization of a clean energy future," said Neha Jatar, Managing Director at EQT Group.
"First Student's revolutionary approach toward harnessing
advancements in grid technology for school transportation and
applying them to other verticals is transformative. We are
committed to investing in companies like First Student that are
creating the technologies of tomorrow, today."
"Beyond providing healthy, clean transportation for kids,
electric school buses represent an opportunity to build energy
resilience in communities, which is critical in the face of natural
and other emergencies," said Sue
Gander, director of World Resources Institute's Electric
School Bus Initiative. "By leveraging solar panels and integrated
charging technologies, electric school buses can act as giant,
mobile batteries, able to store and discharge clean power when not
being used for transportation. We are eager to see this project
between First Student and Con Edison bring stronger, more resilient
grids, as well as a clean ride for kids, to Brooklyn and serve as an example for
others."
This demonstration aims to prove how communities can build a
critical bridge to planned grid modernization while providing
backup power to grids. If needed, the Smart Energy Hub is also
capable of supporting emergency services and hospitals, including
HVAC, power and lighting.
The technology will allow for significant organizational growth
at First Student, building upon the company's operations in 43
states and in partnership with more than 3,000 utilities. It will
create new pathways for First Student to deliver more energy
storage nationally.
"Our company leads the industry in moving students, and now we
are showing the world how to move electrons. We' are proving that a
scalable, cost-effective microgrid is possible, and doing it using
bus batteries that otherwise would be sitting dormant," said
Alex Cook, chief engineer, First
Student. "We learned from successful trials in multiple other
deployments that combine our innovative charging infrastructure
solution with unique energy storage options and dynamic load
management software that can deliver a microgrid that is reliable
and puts money back into the communities we serve."
"We could not do this without great partners who value
innovation and who, like us, prioritize students' well-being and
their futures, which means safer rides to school and safeguarding
our planet. We thank Con Edison and Bechtel for their commitment to
this project and for seeing the potential safety, community and
global benefits of using solar power and school bus batteries to do
more than just transport children to and from school every day,"
said Kevin Matthews, head of
electrification, First Student.
The implementation of this innovative charging technology is
part of First Student's larger electrification goals. The company
has made a commitment to transition 30,000 fossil fueled school
buses to electric by 2035.
Watch an explainer video on this project.
About First Student
As North
America's leading school transportation solutions provider,
First Student strives to provide unmatched care and the safest ride
to school to 5.5 million students every day. With a team of highly
trained drivers, the company will complete 1 billion student trips
during the 2024-25 school year. First Student delivers reliable,
quality services, including full-service transportation and
management, special needs transportation, fleet electrification,
route optimization, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services
with a fleet of nearly 45,000 buses.
About First Services
First Services, a division of
First Student, is focused on providing customers with all of First
Student's expert transportation services without a full-service
transportation contract. Services provided include routing,
maintenance, special needs training, and fleet electrification,
including the deployment of First Charge, the containerized,
above-ground modular charging solution that decreases costs and
speeds up EV deployment.
About Con Edison
Con Edison is a subsidiary of
Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation's largest
investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $15 billion in annual revenues for the year-end
2023 and $68 billion in assets as of
June 30, 2024. The utility delivers
electricity, natural gas and steam, and serves 3.7 million
customers in New York City and
Westchester County. For financial,
operations and customer service information, visit conEd.com.
Media Contact: Jen
Biddinger, First Student, 513.362.4600
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SOURCE First Student