Electric buses to tap solar power using new method for D.C. region

The first microgrid to power electric buses will soon make its debut in the Washington region as transit agencies nationwide increasingly look to the sun — rather than diesel — to fuel their fleets.

The system will launch in September, powering a growing number of electric buses on Montgomery County’s Ride On transit system. The Silver Spring facility will be the first in the D.C. area to use the microgrid technology and one of the earliest of its kind nationwide.

The microgrid will use energy that originates from solar panels at a bus depot rather than the traditional electricity grid — the process used by most transit agencies with electric buses. The transition comes as jurisdictions across the country are looking to electrify their bus fleets to battle climate change and amid financial windfalls from last year’s infrastructure law, which includes $109 billion for transit.

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Source: Washington Post

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