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Financial Assessment of the Sustainability of Solar-Powered Electric School Buses in Vehicle-to-Grid Systems in the United States

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  • Francisco Haces-Fernandez

    (College of Business Administration, Texas A&M University Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA)

Abstract

Transition to electric vehicles has accelerated in diverse consumer sectors all over the world. Electric School Buses (ESBs) are a particular area of interest due to their environmental and financial potential benefits, including Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) synergies. Storing electricity in times of lower demand to supply the grid at optimal times can provide significant sustainability benefits, among them a reduction in new generation capacity and financial revenue for battery owners. ESBs, with their high-capacity batteries, have significant potential to supply the grid in V2G systems. There are more than half a million school buses in the US, with a wide geographical distribution, which have significant idle times during school days and holidays. This presents very attractive investment possibilities, providing school districts with additional revenue and supplying local communities with sustainable electricity at high-demand times. This study develops a framework to financially evaluate sustainability of ESB V2G schemes in the US. It applies data analytics, GIS, and Business Intelligence to integrate and assess publicly available data to provide stakeholders with decision-making tools in selecting optimal locations and operation times for these projects. Results indicate that revenue for these projects is significant in most schools, with some locations generating very high revenue potential. Geospatial analysis for most locations and time frames indicates very promising results, with schools potentially receiving significant income from these systems. The framework provides, therefore, relevant information for stakeholders to make sustainable decisions on the development of these projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Francisco Haces-Fernandez, 2025. "Financial Assessment of the Sustainability of Solar-Powered Electric School Buses in Vehicle-to-Grid Systems in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-21, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:20:p:9002-:d:1768745
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Noel, Lance & McCormack, Regina, 2014. "A cost benefit analysis of a V2G-capable electric school bus compared to a traditional diesel school bus," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 246-255.
    2. Ruengwit Khwanrit & Saher Javaid & Yuto Lim & Chalie Charoenlarpnopparut & Yasuo Tan, 2024. "Optimal Vehicle-to-Grid Strategies for Energy Sharing Management Using Electric School Buses," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-25, August.
    3. Virginia Casella & Daniel Fernandez Valderrama & Giulio Ferro & Riccardo Minciardi & Massimo Paolucci & Luca Parodi & Michela Robba, 2022. "Towards the Integration of Sustainable Transportation and Smart Grids: A Review on Electric Vehicles’ Management," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-23, May.
    4. Francisco Haces-Fernandez, 2023. "Risk Assessment Framework for Electric Vehicle Charging Station Development in the United States as an Ancillary Service," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-17, December.
    5. Francisco Haces-Fernandez, 2024. "Framework to Develop Electric School Bus Vehicle-to-Grid (ESB V2G) Systems Supplied with Solar Energy in the United States," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-18, June.
    6. Francisco Haces-Fernandez, 2024. "Sustainable Electric Vehicle Development in the United States Through Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station Expansion in Colleges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-22, November.
    7. Mohamad, Farihan & Teh, Jiashen & Lai, Ching-Ming, 2021. "Optimum allocation of battery energy storage systems for power grid enhanced with solar energy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
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