Los Angeles solar + storage microgrid to power chargers for city’s 100+ electric buses

The solar and storage microgrid paired with 104 EV chargers will support LADOT’s adoption of electric buses as the agency transitions to a fully electric fleet by 2028. LADOT selected Proterra and Apparent to install the EV-charging microgrid at the agency’s Washington Bus Yard where it will manage EV charging and overall energy use for more than 100 electric buses.

“Meeting our climate and sustainability goals requires persistent investment and urgent action,” said LADOT General Manager Seleta Reynolds. “This grant provides an essential support facility as we move closer to our goal of a fully electric fleet.”

LADOT will deploy 1.5 MW of rooftop and bus solar canopy paired with a 4.5 MWh energy storage system provided by Apparent at the Washington Bus Yard to help power five Proterra 1.5-MW fleet chargers with 104 remote EV charging dispensers. The microgrid will utilize Apparent’s intelligent grid operating system (igOS) platform to integrate Proterra Energy’s charging infrastructure with energy generation to coordinate how and when the electric buses are charged with energy generated from solar, or drawn from storage or the utility. At 7.5 MW of EV charging power, the project is one of the largest fleet charging installations in the United States.

“Transit agencies and fleet operators need resilient, reliable charging solutions to help power the switch to electric fleets. This innovative project is a model for how we can power commercial electric vehicle fleets and support a sustainable, clean transportation future with renewable energy solutions. We are excited to extend the benefits of our technology to help power Los Angeles’s transition to zero-emission, electric transit buses,” said Gareth Joyce, President of Proterra.

News item from LADOT