Revolutionizing Sustainable Transportation: AlphaStruxure’s Hydrogen Powered Microgrid and Charging Solution
The challenge:
- Montgomery County, Maryland is a national leader in responding to the challenge of climate change with goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 100% by 2035
- The County wants to transform their Equipment Maintenance & Transit Operation Center (EMTOC) into a self-sustaining bus depot to power a mixed fleet of 200+ buses with renewable energy.
- Incorporate green hydrogen production to support fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) and enhance the county’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network.
- Uninterrupted transit bus services under any power circumstances are required to ensure a ready supply of sustainable, resilient, and cost-effective power for the new bus fleet
Solution:
- Montgomery County leveraged its progressive energy purchasing regulations to create a public-private partnership with AlphaStruxure to design, build, finance, own, and operate the Microgrid
- The 7MW microgrid will consist of 5MW of solar, 2 MW/7.35 MWh battery energy storage, and 4.5 MW of charging capacity
- An on on-site electrolyzer powered by solar and battery energy storage will enable green hydrogen production to support FCEBs
- The microgrid will be interconnected to the utility but engineered to operate in island mode, ensuring uninterrupted service during power disruptions
- The solution is delivered at no upfront cost through a Energy as a Service agreement, ensuring predictable operating expenses and guaranteed performance for sustainability, resilience, and reliability
Results:
- AlphaStruxure’s Energy as a Service model and integrated Microgrid helped Montgomery County become a leader in fleet electrification and a sustainability archetype for local governments across the country — all with zero capital outlay.
- On-site renewable energy generation and battery energy storage solutions provide peace of mind for the County’s 1.1 million residents, ensuring buses can operate in the event of a main grid outage.
- This project also advances the County’s goal of reducing carbon emissions 80% by 2027, and 100% by 2035 with a 4,000 metric ton reduction in scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions
- The largest self sustaining bus depot in the nation, powered by renewable energy
- The first on the east coast to feature green hydrogen production
- Long-term cost predictability of energy supply
AlphaStruxure is the industry’s top-ranked Energy as a Service (EaaS) provider. Its purpose is to decarbonize energy infrastructure at speed and scale. It’s on a mission to design, finance, build, own, operate, and maintain energy infrastructure, including microgrids, to deliver emissions reductions, reliability, and resilience. By doing so, the company helps public- and private-sector organizations achieve ambitious, tailored energy transformations — without the CapEx or complexity.
