First Student, a student transport company, and utility provider Con Edison have unveiled a new vehicle-to-everything (V2X) hub in Brooklyn, featuring 12 solar-roofed electric school buses.
This Smart Energy Hub project will replace diesel buses at First Student’s Malta Street location, utilizing solar panels and rooftop arrays to generate clean energy, store it in batteries, and deliver power as needed.
The V2X hub takes vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology a step further, allowing energy stored in the electric bus batteries to be directed to the grid or other areas where it is most needed.
This could prove especially useful in summer when the buses are not in use, providing additional power for Con Edison during peak demand. The hub is also designed to support essential services like hospitals in case of emergencies.
Sue Gander, director of the World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative, highlighted the community benefits: “Electric school buses represent an opportunity to build energy resilience in communities, which is critical in the face of natural and other emergencies.” First Student plans to electrify 30,000 fossil-fuel-powered school buses by 2035 as part of its commitment to sustainable transportation.
