ENGIE North America, through its various subsidiaries and affiliates, has acquired new K-12 fleet and transit agency customers: El Monte Union High School District (UHSD), Grossmont Union HSD and Victor Valley Transit Authority (VVTA).
“Zero-emission buses are the future of American public transportation,” says Stefaan Sercu, chief energy solutions officer, Americas, at ENGIE. “In fact, soon, electrification will be one of the best options. That’s good news for communities, because ultimately it will significantly reduce both the cost and environmental impact of transportation.”
The ENGIE North America turnkey solution includes all aspects of e-mobility planning and design, covering vehicles, charging infrastructure, energy management, and on-site energy generation and storage. The customers are also receiving a total cost of ownership analysis and assistance in applying for grants and incentives as well as financing, which can include purchase options, capital leasing, or fixed-cost transportation and charging-as-a-service. Also included are project management (planning, construction, installation and ongoing support) and community engagement aspects, such as academic collaborations and community outreach programs.
Located near San Diego, Grossmont Union HSD tapped ENGIE’s eMobility services to help plan the conversion of its fleet to zero emission vehicles, including developing e-bus charging infrastructure requirements, analyzing the impact of adding solar and battery storage, and reviewing the district’s plans for its new transportation yard.
“Just planning for a transition to an electric fleet is a daunting task when you think of all the variables involved,” states Lindsey Danner, energy manager at Grossmont Union HSD. “ENGIE North America is helping us put a plan together we can afford – covering everything from bus infrastructure and technology to funding sources. They turned a challenge into a real opportunity for our district.”
ENGIE North America devised an e-mobility plan for the VVTA in Hesperia, Calif., which included battery storage combined with solar to support the transit agency’s electric and hydrogen bus fleet. The battery storage now offsets the demand spikes caused by VVTA’s e-bus chargers and natural gas compressors.
El Monte UHSD, just east of Los Angeles, turned to ENGIE North America to design and deploy an energy storage system to support their EV chargers that power its new electric bus fleet. Deployed at five sites, the battery storage has enabled a 35% reduction in demand charges. The project at its five high school sites and bus garage was partially funded by a portion of the $9.8 million CA Air Resources Board Clean Mobility in Schools Pilot grant.