AlphaStruxure, a leader in Energy as a Service (EaaS) microgrid solutions, and Montgomery County, Maryland, have initiated a groundbreaking microgrid infrastructure project. This development will feature electric bus charging and on-site green hydrogen production, powered by solar and battery energy storage.
Key components include:
5.65 MWDC of rooftop and canopy solar generation
2 MW/6.88 MWh battery energy storage
Up to 2.25 MW of charging capacity
1 MW hydrogen electrolyzer
Software tools and IoT-connected hardware
Montgomery County, home to the second-largest bus fleet in the Washington, D.C. region, is focusing this project at the David F. Bone Equipment Maintenance and Transit Operations Center.
This depot, a crucial hub in the Ride On Montgomery network, is one of the County’s top energy consumers. By 2035, it is expected to support 200 zero-emission buses, primarily hydrogen fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs), which offer extended range compared to battery electric buses, thus accommodating longer routes.
Slated for completion in 2025, the microgrid will supply renewable energy to the grid and power zero-emission buses. This project builds on the success of the Brookville Smart Energy Bus Depot, the County’s first microgrid-powered bus depot, launched in 2022. Together, these depots are set to power approximately 335 zero-emission transit buses, according to the County’s fleet transition plan.
AlphaStruxure’s CEO, Juan Macias, expressed enthusiasm for the project, stating, “The County has established itself as a national leader in zero-emissions transit. Our EaaS approach enables the County to achieve sustainable and resilient transit without upfront capital, de-risking the financial, construction, and operations phases of the project.”
The microgrid will significantly contribute to the County’s goal of reducing carbon emissions by 100 percent by 2035, cutting Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 4,000 metric tons of CO2 annually — equivalent to the annual electricity use of about 780 homes.
AlphaStruxure and Montgomery County will work closely with Pepco to implement the microgrid swiftly. The system will also be able to send up to two megawatts of renewable energy back to the utility grid through a Pepco net metering program.