CONCORD, N.C. – A panel featuring transportation director experiences shared the process and benefits of transitioning a school bus operation from diesel to propane.
Stephen Whaley, the eastern region alternative fuels manager for session sponsor Blue Bird, reviewed the growing interest in greener fuels due to increasingly strict emissions standards on diesel. Echoing his point from the previous day’s Green Bus Summit session, he said propane was “the easy button” when switching from diesel due to its popularity, accessibility, affordability, safety, environmental friendliness, and ultra-low NOx emissions.
“If you go to propane, my prediction is that you won’t go back.”
– Joel Stutheit, Senior Manager of Autogas, Propane Education & Research Council
Trey Studstill, senior executive director of transportation for Paulding County School District located northwest of Atlanta, Georgia, oversees the transportation of 21,000 students a day. He said he had no intentions to depart from diesel but, purchased 30 propane school buses in 2015 at his superintendent’s suggestion for cost-effectiveness and environmental consciousness.
Having some apprehension about fueling infrastructure, Studstill said his department did copious research and found a good partner that handles much of the minutia. He provided data reflecting a 43 cent cost per mile savings compared to diesel.
Both Studstill and Dennis Ryan, coordinator of transportation for North Penn School District near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, shared that Blue Bird’s autogas system partner, ROUSH CleanTech, was helpful during the research and planning stage.
Ryan said his district appreciates the fuel cost savings, which amounts to 13 cents per mile over diesel. Additionally, he said, students enjoy the cleaner air around the buses and drivers are happier with a quieter bus. He cited a Georgia State University study, which compared school districts that operate lower-emission school buses equipped with diesel emissions retrofits to higher emitting diesel buses. Researchers found that student test scores in the districts with the retrofitted buses improved.
“For us at least, it’s a no-brainer.”
– Trey Studstill, Senior Executive Director of Transportation, Paulding County School District (Ga.)
While Ryan said some drivers took longer to warm up to propane buses, Studstill noted that a preemptive education campaign and hands-on experience helped convince drivers initially opposed to the idea.
“For us at least, it’s a no-brainer,” Studstill said. “That’s been our super’s [modus operandi]: ‘What’s best for the students?’”
Joel Stutheit, senior manager of Autogas for the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) and a former school district director in Washington state, noted that the cleaner-burning propane gives maintenance benefits, in addition to costing less than diesel. Upon implementation, he said he worked with specific drivers open to trying out the propane buses but revealed that vehicles quickly became high demand with other drivers.
While propane infrastructure is usually the hardest piece of the implementation, Whaley noted, Stutheit said that process is still simple, safe and costs about $60,000. That is much more cost-effective than implementing electric infrastructure, he noted. Stutheit and Whaley added that propane is even less expensive upfront when a school district works with a propane provider on a subscription basis or starts with a portable tank like what PERC offers.
“Plan for the future,” Stutheit recommended. “If you go to propane, my prediction is that you won’t go back.”
He advocated conducting fueling training with school bus drivers and local fire departments for greater understanding all around.
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Whaley shared that the Alternative Fuel Station Locator published by the U.S. Department of Energy pin-points locations where propane school buses can refuel when on field or activity trips. A local Clean Cities organization can provide districts with additional help on funding sources and vendor partners, he said.
While the purchase price of a propane bus could cost as much or more than a diesel, Stutheit noted that in the long run the propane cost savings from tax incentives and reduced maintenance costs are realized.
Studstill answered an attendee question on maintenance comparisons. “In every respect, propane is a pro, not a con,” he said. “The things you don’t have to do [on a propane bus] are where the savings are.”
Ryan and Stutheit agreed that they could find no shortcomings with propane school buses. All panelists agreed that training is key in a successful propane implementation, which is provided for free according to Tom Hopkins, business development manager for ROUSH CleanTech.
Studstill and Whaley explained that if a correct pump size is installed, districts should see no change in fueling times in either hot or cold weather. All three transportation directors reported a range of about 300 miles per tank, enough to comfortably complete bus routes and activity trips.
