Economics of Solar PV and Stationary Storage for Electric Bus Charging in Missoula, Montana

This analysis was conducted under the first round of the Solar Energy Innovation Network (SEIN), a program led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that assembles diverse teams of stakeholders to research solutions to real-world challenges associated with solar energy adoption. This analysis supported the efforts of the Montana Solar Powered Community Transportation Initiative, a team consisting of the Montana Renewable Energy Association, Montana Energy Office at the Department of Environmental Quality, City of Missoula, City of Bozeman, City of Whitefish, Climate Smart Missoula, and Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities. The team is investigating the synergies between solar generation and electric vehicle (EV) charging, including the potential opportunities and challenges related to co-locating solar energy and charging infrastructure to reduce costs and enhance co-benefits of the electrification of transportation. The City of Missoula's transit agency has purchased six electric buses. This analysis supports the team's efforts to understand the potential costs and specific options for using solar and storage to reduce EV bus charging costs.