Leveraging Electric School Buses for Peak Load Reduction in Distribution Systems: A Stochastic Two-Stage Optimization Model

GÜLDORUM H. C., Diaz-Cachinero P., Muñoz-Delgado G., Contreras J.

2025 IEEE Kiel PowerTech, PowerTech 2025, Kiel, Germany, 29 June - 03 July 2025, (Full Text) identifier

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
  • Doi Number: 10.1109/powertech59965.2025.11180228
  • City: Kiel
  • Country: Germany
  • Keywords: Demand response, distribution system, electric school bus, stochastic programming, vehicle-to-grid
  • Yıldız Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Electric school buses (ESBs) are becoming increasingly widespread due to their health benefits, environmental friendliness, and incentives supporting the transition to net-zero emissions. This study proposes a novel stochastic two-stage optimization-based model to minimize the peak currents in a distribution system (DS) by leveraging the flexibility provided by vehicle-to-grid (V2G)-enabled ESBs. The model reduces peak current levels in a two-stage process, delaying potential upgrades within the DS while also accounting for the associated system costs. The proposed model's performance is evaluated using real-world data and scenario-based simulations. Results demonstrate that peak current levels can be significantly reduced with only a 1.88% increase in total costs, highlighting the model's effectiveness in optimizing DS operations.