In 1997, the Napa Valley Unified School District decided to take the alternative-fuels route for its fleet of school buses. That decision was an easy one, said the-then-and-still director of transportation. The buses were free.
Ralph Knight, the district’s transportation director, said Napa Valley began running only the second and third Blue Bird conventional, electric school buses in California (he said Antelope Valley in the high desert northeast of Los Angeles received the first electric), while at the same time it put its first two CNG transit-style school buses with John Deere engines into service.
“The electrics were a challenge, for sure,” recalled Knight, adding that those buses are currently parked but could be resurrected soon. “We were lucky if the electric buses were on the road five school days a month. The CNGs were John Deere engines, and things went very good for those buses.”
The district relied on grant funds, which it has made nearly a science of ever since.
Today, the district north of San Francisco is considered a national leader in energy conservation as it boasts a fleet of 60 alt-fuel buses, including CNGs, electrics, hybrid-diesels, plug-in hybrids and a few that run on biodiesel. Napa Valley is also awaiting an award of nine more hybrids, two transit-style CNGs and two propane-autogas special-needs buses. The only straight diesel-powered bus left is a 1985 Crown Knight said he hangs on to for posterity’s sake.
Knight has also won numerous awards for his leadership, including from the the American Lung Association, the Alternative Fuels Vehicle Institute, the California Highway Patrol, John Deere, and School Transportation News magazine. In 2001, Knight also received U.S. congressional recognition as “outstanding and invaluable service to the community and was named a “Clean Air Hero” by the California State Assembly.
“Being an early-on operation…we were able to help set a lot of the current operating standards today,” added Knight, who is co-presenting the workshop “The Dollars and Sense of Alt-Fuel Decisions” at the STN EXPO in Reno, Nev., next month. “It was a lot of hard working, but it has opened that door for more buses and big savings in fuel cost over the years.”
Knight is quick to point out that school-bus operators can not only save money on the cost of fuel but also in maintenance. For example, he said changing oil filters can be costly for any fleet, especially the large ones. But a natural-gas engine only requires an oil change once a year, depending on the usage.
“When you are talking over 15 years, that really adds up,” he said.
Despite the cost-saving and environmentally friendly benefits, obstacles remain to widespread acceptance nationwide. Knight said one of the biggest obstacles is making sure the fuel type fit your needs.
“Could be there is no natural gas or propane fueling in your area. That is moving forward in many states, to see more fuel stations get put in prime areas. They are looking at school bus operations being a key place for a station along with public vehicles. Diesel hybrids are always good in any area.”
Another main obstacle for districts, he said, is finding and receiving the necessary funds to help pay for not only the alt-fuel school bus but also the infrastructure.
“It is not easy and it does not jump out at you,” he added. “You’ve got to look for it.”
