Montgomery County begins work on 7 MW Solar-Storage-H2 bus depot microgrid

Three years ago, AlphaStruxure, a developer of public infrastructure microgrids, began construction of a groundbreaking bus electrification project at a depot in Montgomery County, Maryland. The Brookville Smart Energy Bus Depot microgrid was completed amid countless moving parts and with a unanimous desire to achieve decarbonization goals in the region.

Three years later, they’re at it again – literally breaking into the market for a larger and more diversified microgrid.

Today, two major parties will celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking of a massive combined solar, energy storage and hydrogen project at the David F. Bone Montgomery County Transit Maintenance and Operations Center (EMTOC) in Rockville, Maryland.

Decarbonization to the bone

The Bone EMTOC microgrid, expected to be completed in less than two years, will include 5 MW of solar and 2 MW/7.4 MWh of batteries, some of which will charge electric buses along with a 1 MW electrolyzer to produce zero-emission products hydrogen to buses powered by fuel cells.

“You have to get a strong commitment to the ground,” said Michael Yambrach, head of the Montgomery County Office of Energy and Sustainability, addressing questions about the timeline for a Maryland entity aiming to achieve net-zero emissions to meet its ambitious emission reduction goals by 2035

Indeed, much of Rockville’s Bone EMTOC microgrid will bear some resemblance to what AlphaStruxure achieved in Brookville, although the earlier design did not include hydrogen (H2) or an electrolyzer component. Once completed, it is planned that almost 70 percent of buses in the fleet will be powered by H2 fuel cells, with the rest powered by electricity as part of a phased transition to older diesel-powered vehicles.

Montgomery County plans to acquire about 200 larger fuel cell buses and eventually electrify most of its remaining fleet of about 3,000 vehicles. The partners claim that the project will be the largest electromobility project powered by renewable energy for public fleets in the country. For H2 to be classified as truly green hydrogen, it must be produced by electrolyzers (separating hydrogen from water) and powered by zero-emission resources such as wind, solar energy and water.

Montgomery County’s microgrids are part of a growing portfolio of projects aimed at meeting growing electricity demand from both transportation and data centers.

“We are seeing load growth that we haven’t seen in decades in the U.S.,” AlphaStruxure CEO Juan Macias said at a press conference with Microgrid Knowledge, Axios and other media entities. “I think Montgomery County stands alone when it comes to the energy infrastructure that needs to be in place to meet load demand. They don’t just think about it, they take action.”

The Bone EMTOC microgrid will consist of Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Microgrid Flex system, equipped with BESS (battery energy storage system) switchgear and controls to manage input from a 5 MW solar plant and 2 MW/7.4 MWh storage .

A construction project with lots of moving parts

The entire power generation facility will be located near where the Montgomery County fleet of buses and public transit vehicles is charged or refueled. AlphaStruxure is a joint venture between Schneider Electric and private equity investment and management firm Carlyle Group.

“Schneider Electric couldn’t be more proud of its contributions,” said Jana Gerber, Schneider Electric’s president of microgrids in North America. “The goal is decarbonization, decentralization and digitalization. Microgrids are becoming a key driver of the energy transition due to their ability to harness clean energy resources.”