Author ORCID Identifier
Semester
Summer
Date of Graduation
2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Committee Chair
Hailin Li
Committee Co-Chair
Bhaskaran Gopalakrishnan
Committee Member
Derek Johnson
Committee Member
Rong Luo
Abstract
The transition towards sustainable public transportation demands detailed evaluation of alternative fuel technologies. This thesis presents a comprehensive energy assessment and comparative analysis of diesel and electric school buses (ESBs) operating within the Monongalia County school district, its Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) potential, and efficiency analysis of charging system. Utilizing real-world operational data collected from buses running identical routes, the study quantifies and compares their mileage specific energy consumption. The analysis reveals an average fuel economy of approximately 6.17 miles per gallon (MPG) for the conventional diesel school bus, contrasted with an average energy consumption rate of 0.46 miles per kilowatt-hour (miles/kWh) for the ESB based on the evaluation period of September,2024 – December,2024. Further investigation into the effect of environmental factors shows the dependency of MPG and miles/kWh to ambient temperature; ESB energy efficiency (measured in miles per kWh) showed a tendency to slightly improve with increasing temperatures (Tair< 30 °F), whereas diesel bus MPG exhibited a decrease, potentially due to increased auxiliary loads such as air conditioning systems. However, the carbon dioxide emissions per mile from ESBs are slightly higher than that of diesel buses mainly due to coal-based electricity in West Virginia.
Beyond direct energy consumption, the research investigates the technical and economic potential of V2G system through the detailed analysis of EV fleet focusing on energy, carbon emissions, and cost savings using bi-directional charging technology. The full electrification of fleet has the potential to deliver 14, 929 kWh of electricity when charged from 20% and 80% SOC and provide 14,929 kW Stable electricity with V2G when the electricity is discharged back to the grid in one hour. The ESB fleet showed strong V2G potential with $712,285 net annual revenue, but the $7.34 million cost for bilateral chargers affects financial viability. Addition to that, the study assessed the performance of charging infrastructure with direct measurement of a 120 kW Level 3 DC fast charger which yielded a grid-to-vehicle energy transfer efficiency of 95.21% providing important data on energy losses during the charging process. The long idle time of L3 DC charge will negatively affect the energy utilization efficiency of EV chargers.
Collectively, these findings provide an overall picture of operational performance, environmental dependencies, grid interaction potential, and charging efficiency associated with ESBs in a real-world setting and will serve as a valuable reference for assessing the viability of ESB, and V2G capable ESB fleet.
Recommended Citation
Dahal, Rupesh, "An Investigation into Energy Consumption and V2G Potential of an Electric School Bus Fleet" (2025). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12924.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/12924
Included in
Electrical and Electronics Commons, Energy Systems Commons, Other Mechanical Engineering Commons