Sweet Home NYSERDA BEB/ZEV Study

The Sweet Home Central School District located in the towns of Amherst and Tonawanda, New York owns and maintains six facilities and provides public educational services and transportation to approximately 3,350 students and employs approximately 1,010 staff. The district covers an area of 23 square miles and has an annual budget of $83M. The bus fleet consists of 65 buses ranging from 30-65 passengers.

In New York State’s 2023 budget, the State outlined a new mandate for school bus fleets to be 100% emission-free by 2035. This mandate also includes a requirement that all new bus purchases starting in 2027 must be electric buses. This fleet changeover is a massive undertaking that will not only require purchasing a new electric powered fleet, but will also include electrical infrastructure upgrades to support the fleet’s charging needs.

The Sweet Home Central School quickly realized the challenges and benefits associated with a fleet electrification program. The District contacted Wendel to discuss and outline a zero-emission vehicle feasibility study to evaluate the transportation operations, bus procurement and charging strategy, and implementation economics associated with a conversion to battery electric buses (BEBs).  Wendel coordinated with the District’s leadership team, Transportation Manager, and School Board to develop a feasibility study that would meet the needs of the District and provide them with key technical and financial information for investment decision making. Wendel developed a funding application and study scope of work and obtained a 75% cost-shared grant from the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), that utilized Wendel’s existing term-agreement with NYSERDA such that the District’s out-of-pocket cost was only 25%.

Wendel’s battery electric bus study included the following key ZEV transition analysis and planning tasks.

1. Existing Vehicle Data Compilation – vehicle information, route schedule and data, parking and storage arrangements, utility data, existing electrical distribution information and existing site plan.

2. Route Analysis – Bus route time, distance and fuel consumption analysis, historical and future student transportation projections, develop future energy requirements per route, vehicle and battery size options and associated charging requirements.

3. Conceptual Charging Strategy – develop conceptual charging strategy for the new electric fleet, types and sizes of chargers, anticipated electrical demand and consumption, and optimum charging size and configuration to minimize operating costs and maintain charging resiliency.

4. Electric Utility Analysis – Engage the local electric utility to investigate additional electrical capacity for the charging site, obtain electrical service upgrade costs, and operating costs based on applicable utility tariff rates.

5. Concept Development and Phasing Plan – Collaborate with the District to develop a conceptual plan for fleet electrification over time, including a phased approach based on funding cycles, fleet replacement schedules, utility system build-out schedules, and internal electrical distribution system upgrades.

6. Transition Plan Cost Estimates – prepare a detailed cost estimate for the design and implementation of a battery electric bus fleet program, including cost for utility capacity upgrades, electrical equipment and installation, bus charging and management system, charging equipment and installation, sitework modifications, and new bus purchases.

The District, NYSERDA and Wendel agree that this feasibility study will serve as a centerpiece pilot for other District’s in New York State.