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Hybrid Horsepower for Kentucky
Schools
Kentucky has the largest hybrid-electric school bus fleet in the
nation with 160 school buses on the road. The program is made
possible by a $12.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy
that was awarded to the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition and the
Kentucky Department of Education in December 2009. The grant offsets
the purchase price of the hybrid system.
“The hybrid school bus project not only serves as a means to improve
efficiency and be environmentally conscious,” said Kentucky
Education Commissioner Terry Holliday. “This project will also
provide students with learning opportunities across many subject
areas. Teachers can develop lesson plans related to fuel
consumption, air quality and transportation costs, bringing
real-world knowledge and hands-on experiences into the classroom.”
The goal of the hybrid school bus project in Kentucky is to provide
real world data for a transportation sector across the nation that
has seen little improvement in engine efficiency since the adoption
of the diesel engine in the late ‘70s. The hybrid system operates as
a parallel system with a diesel engine. Manufacturers anticipate a
30% – 40% reduction in fuel demand. To date, a 34% reduction in fuel
use has been realized.
All the school buses are fitted with Electronic Control Modules that
record and store bus performance data, including the hybrid system
data. KCFC receives that information from each district monthly and
compiles the performance data, which can be viewed on the web site.
Nearly two million miles have been logged by the buses in 32
districts. Whitley, Pike and Breathitt Counties have achieved over
12 miles per gallon in their fleet. Jefferson County Schools has the
largest number of hybrids with 50 operating in and around
Louisville.
“Kentucky's broad topographic range offers excellent opportunities
for real world data from the buses,” said Melissa Howell, KCFC
executive director. “We hope that school systems and the bus
industry will take a look at our results and work to utilize this
technology in large numbers across the country.”
The KCFC has also created a K-12 hybrid electric interdisciplinary
technology curriculum. Teacher trainings were conducted in September
and will be offered again in early Spring 2013. Technician training
is conducted upon delivery of the hybrid buses to districts. A more
intensive two day raining will be offered to technicians in Spring
2013 to enable service beyond the five year warranty.
The districts and number of buses they have been awarded
funding for are as follows:
(Click on a County for more project information and photos)
Contacts:
Lisa Gross, KY Department of Education
502.564.2015
Melissa Howell, KCFC
502 452. 9152
Program Partners
Meet the Hybrid Horsepower for
Kentucky Schools Team
Kentucky's Hybrid Diesel Electric
School Bus Team met in Frankfort on Thursday April
29th to review the project progress.
Pictured are from left to right: Kay Kennedy,
KY Dept of Ed, Leah Settle KY Dept of Ed, Elizabeth
Robb Schmitz, Ky Dept for Air Quality, Steve
Richardson, US Dept of Energy, Lisa Gross, KY Dept
of Ed, Dave Mangum Ky Dept of Ed, Lee Colten, Ky
Department of Energy, Mike Gustafson, KY Finance
Cabinet, John Davies, KY Dept of Energy and Roy
Prince, KY Dept of Ed.
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