Porterville school district plans solar microgrid to charge electric bus fleet

Porterville Unified School District will build a solar, battery storage, and islandable microgrid system to charge its electric bus fleet, working with developer ForeFront Power. The setup ties a 763 kW solar array mounted on parking lot shade structures to a 408 kW/1,632 kWh lithium-ion battery, rated for four hours of duration.

That on-site power will feed 35 DC fast charger ports serving the district's electric school buses. Two of the 35 chargers will run bi-directional, enabling vehicle-to-grid (V2G) power sharing.

Across all district facilities, the project should cover roughly 80% of electricity use, according to Solar Builder. The target is part of the PUSD Energy & Sustainability Program, which aims to cut energy costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80% by 2030 or sooner.

A grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean School Bus Program covers part of the buildout, with clean transportation non-profit CALSTART guiding the district through the federal application and compliance steps.

The district is installing The Mobility House's ChargePilot platform to keep simultaneous charging in check. According to ESS News, the software pulls from the solar and storage assets alongside grid supply and adjusts to real-time utility pricing.