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Franklin‑McKinley to host CEC‑funded solar canopy, DC microgrid and resilience hub for bus depot
Summary
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and district staff described a California Energy Commission–funded solar canopy and DC microgrid at the Franklin bus yard that will charge electric buses, support a vehicle‑to‑building resilience hub for the cafeteria and offer community access. Construction is planned for mid‑July with commissioning in late August–early September.
The Franklin‑McKinley School District heard a presentation about a California Energy Commission (CEC)–funded project to install a modular solar charging canopy and DC‑coupled microgrid at the district bus depot behind Franklin Elementary.
"This project was funded by the CEC in 2020, and we have finally gotten to the point where we are ready to install the system, hopefully, within the next month," said Morgan Faulkner, program manager at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Presenters said the system couples solar, batteries and fast chargers on a DC microgrid to reduce energy losses and enable vehicle‑to‑building (V2B) operations that can power critical circuits during outages.
Daniel Gerber, a co‑principal investigator on the project, described the canopy design and resilience‑hub plan, saying the modular World for Solar LumaPort columns will be sited near the back of the bus yard so buses can pull in and out. "The canopy uses a DC microgrid that couples storage, the batteries and the fast chargers directly together," Gerber said. He added the configuration is intended to be off‑grid for resilience use and to minimize impacts on the district utility service.
Project partners named during the presentation include the CEC (funder); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (lead investigators); M Neals Engineering for design and permitting; Microgrid Labs for fleet energy management; Schneider Electric for the DC charging system; World for Solar for canopy design and Stronghold Engineering as general contractor. BPR Consulting will provide third‑party plan review and Breathe California will assist with community engagement.
Presenters outlined a construction schedule: site preparation and temporary fencing the week of July 6, piling and foundation work the week of July 13, canopy erection beginning July 20 (roughly three days per module), and commissioning with measurement and verification in late August to early September.
Trustees asked how the resilience hub would operate and whether it would be open to the public during outages. Daniel Gerber and district staff said the plan is for public access in emergency situations and that the district already holds an emergency services contract with the city of San Jose; middle schools are also designated emergency sites and the resilience hub concept could be expanded to other campuses if the pilot is successful.
Vice President Sanchez asked whether the district would incur construction or commissioning costs; presenters said the CEC grant covers installation and commissioning and includes at least three years of subscription access to the fleet‑management software. "We are covering all the installation and the commissioning, and we are also providing at least three years of access [to the fleet‑management system]," Morgan Faulkner said.
Trustees also asked about longer‑term replacement costs. The presenters said initial canopy batteries are provided under the grant but replacement costs for vehicle or canopy batteries were not covered; presenters estimated current lithium‑ion battery lifetimes in the 10–13 year range. District staff outlined security measures during construction: the contractor will provide temporary fencing and secure storage containers, and the district plans to upgrade camera coverage of the yard during work.
Board members expressed enthusiasm and asked for a post‑construction update next school year; no vote was required for this informational presentation.
