Solar powered bus debuts

SunPods Inc., a San Jose, Calif.-based manufacturer of modular, fully integrated and tested solar power generation systems and San Francisco-based Bauer's Intelligent Transportation (IT) recently introduced the first solar power-assist system for buses, known as the Solar-Hybrid Bus.

SunPods’ modular solar power assist system consists of four thin-film solar panels that run the length of the bus and charge an on-board battery bank. When the bus engine is off, the batteries power the air conditioning and wireless connectivity equipment. It can run for four to five hours on the battery source when it is not running on biodiesel.

“A bus is idling for 40 percent of its life,” says Gary Bauer, founder and CEO of Bauer's IT, an environmentally conscious chauffeured transportation service. “That’s $10,000 per year in lost fuel costs.” The Solar-Hybrid Bus should pay for itself in about a year and a half, according to Bauer.

Bauer says he was inspired in part by a California state law that prohibits diesel vehicles from idling for more than five minutes. His idea became a reality when he met SunPods Inc. at Cleantech Open in November 2009. SunPods created the now provisionally patented and trademarked technology. Bauer says the project was self-funded.

The prototype is currently in use and a second bus should be complete in the next week, according to Bauer. The technology is expected to be on the market in the next few months, at which point transportation companies would be able to purchase the entire package.

Bauer's IT is currently working on developing the first electric bus that can travel over 100 miles in one charge.