When we consider the developing lung of a child, it's no secret electric school buses are the best option. When considering carbon and other combustible engine emissions, and their effects on climate change, electric school buses win again. The trouble? Upfront costs. This is where Vehicle-to-Grid technology comes in.

A school bus running a 2-hour route before and after school each day runs this route about 180 days each year. It sits still all summer. All told, for 91% of each calendar year, the bus just sits there doing nothing. Schools invest considerable money into these assets. For 91% of the year, they provide ZERO return on investment. Enter the bi-directional electric school bus and charger.

Bidirectional buses and chargers allow electricity to flow both ways. Combine them with software like NUVVE's GIVE Platform and the buses become energy assets when they are not transporting kids. How does it all work? Each night, during non-peak hours, the charger fills bus batteries with energy. After the morning route, the bus is plugged back in, providing power to the grid while it is not in use. The bus leaves again for the afternoon route with plenty of charge to get kids home from school. It plugs back in upon return and pushes/pulls energy based on the needs of the utility grid. During the summer months, the school bus remains plugged in to stabilize the grid 24/7, becoming an energy asset to the school when not in use.

Leveraging electric school buses as energy assets opens the door to new financing options. New financial packages allow school districts to make monthly or annual payments similar to what they currently spend on traditional diesel school buses. Finally! The air is cleaner. Emissions are less. The cost is the same.

Regular school buses pollute the air our children breathe and contribute to climate change. Electric buses are a cleaner solution, but the upfront cost can be a hurdle. Here's how Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology makes electric buses affordable for schools.

School buses typically sit unused for most of the day and all summer. V2G technology lets these electric buses act as giant batteries. At night, they charge up with clean energy. During the day, while not transporting students, they can send that power back to the grid, earning schools money.

Cleaner Air: Electric buses mean cleaner air for students and communities.
Lower Costs: V2G financing allows schools to pay for electric buses like traditional models, with the added benefit of earning money when not in use.

V2G technology makes electric school buses a win-win for schools, the environment, and our children's health.

Special chargers and software allow electricity to flow both ways between the bus and the grid.

Night: Buses charge with cheap, off-peak electricity.
Morning: Buses transport students, then plug back in.
Daytime: Unused buses provide power to the grid when needed.
Afternoon: Buses recharge, ready for the afternoon route.

Summer: Buses remain plugged in, stabilizing the grid and earning the school money.

The Bus2Grid Initiative supports renewable energy production projects by leveraging electric school bus batteries for intermittent storage. This is especially true during summer months when sunshine is plentiful, electricity is in demand, and school buses sit relatively still. 

The maps below indicate the prevalence of renewable energy production in various parts of the United States. Our focus is to support this production with innovative opportunities to store and deploy renewable energy at the local level.