We’ll need more than exact change to ride electric or hydrogen-powered buses in the future.
Engineering professor Dr. Kasun Hewage and his students in UBC Okanagan’s Lifecycle Management Lab prefer precisely orchestrated changes that don’t swap one problem for another.
“Lifecycle Management is about understanding the complete impact of a product or system—such as a transit system—from cradle to grave, or sometimes cradle to cradle,” he explains.
“This approach considers every stage: material extraction to build the bus, production, transportation to the buyers, maintenance and eventual disposal; and also, the related battery charging infrastructure. We want to ensure sustainable choices benefit the environment, the economy and society.”
His team uses lifecycle thinking to help communities find practical solutions to global-scale challenges; you’ll find them at the intersection of climate change, wise resource management and resilient infrastructure.
Dr. Kasun Hewage, a Professor of Civil Engineering, says lifecycle thinking will help communities find practical solutions to global-scale challenges.
Electrifying—or decarbonizing—transit is a topic of worldwide interest, and it’s one example of the work coming from a partnership between UBC Okanagan and the City of Kelowna.
The collaboration pairs leading-edge research with local challenges to uncover potential solutions.
Are electric buses the way of the future?
Bhuwan Paudel is pursuing a Master’s degree with Dr. Hewage, researching the sustainability of diesel and electric buses.
While choosing electric over diesel might seem evident to the outsider, a lifecycle analysis will confirm the data.
Paudel says it’s a triple-bottom-line research approach to consider transit’s environmental, economic and social effects.
“Public transportation plays a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” he says. “But we need sustainable solutions in all aspects.”
Engineering graduate students Bhuwan Paudel, left, and Chamode Wijayasekera used Lifecycle Management strategies to evaluate electric and hydrogen power for transit fleets
Paudel compared the environmental effects of diesel and electric buses and found that battery manufacturing, electricity sources and overall vehicle operation determine the environmental performance.
He found that communities with policies using renewable energy sources can further reduce environmental effects.
Optimizing charging station strategies would also enhance sustainability in the transportation sector and pave the way for a more environmentally friendly public transit system.
What about hydrogen buses?
Doctoral student Chamode Wijayasekera explored the potential of turning one smelly problem into a pleasant solution. He examined turning everyday trash into clean, green energy to power our cities and reduce pollution.
By studying how municipal solid waste can turn into hydrogen fuel, the Lifecycle Management team is finding new ways to manage waste and produce sustainable energy.
Hydrogen production is expensive and demands considerable energy. Building the infrastructure for storing, transporting and refuelling hydrogen is also costly and complex.
However, reducing trash in landfills to power a city’s transit might mitigate the costs.
“To make hydrogen-powered transportation a reality, hydrogen production processes must be absent of greenhouse gases. We also need adequate maintenance and refuelling stations,” Wijayasekera explains.
“These factors are crucial in encouraging the public to adopt hydrogen vehicles.”
Is electric or hydrogen better?
Despite clear environmental benefits, hydrogen and electric buses face significant roadblocks. That’s why the work at UBC Okanagan must address various considerations to arrive at confident solutions.
High upfront costs for infrastructure and vehicle purchases are significant obstacles. Hydrogen production and storage are energy-intensive and technically challenging, while electric buses have limitations in battery range, charging time and lifespan.
Paudel and Wijayasekera say it’s not enough to use hydrogen or electric power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transit sector. Fossil fuels may still feed a community’s power grid.
Energy sources are crucial: using fossil fuels for electricity reduces the environmental benefits, and clean hydrogen production is costly. Economic viability depends on government subsidies, which can be uncertain.
With insufficient refuelling and charging stations, we must improve infrastructure development, and the electrical grid may struggle with increased demand.
Public and policy support is essential, as consistent regulations and incentives are needed, and public perception can impact adoption. The entire lifecycle environmental impact and sustainability of materials used in batteries and fuel cells also pose concerns.
“We identify main challenges like cost concerns and explore strategies to address them. We focus on developing practical solutions that balance environmental impact, economic feasibility and social acceptance,” says Wijayasekera.
How universities help at home
Dr. Hewage says the success of such research projects is due to the collaborative environment at UBC Okanagan. When researchers join local partners, both communities benefit.
UBC Okanagan students Wijayasekera and Paudel conducted research in partnership with the City of Kelowna. Dr. Hewage says such collaborations ensure research has practical applications and can make tangible change.
“The partnership with the City of Kelowna has been instrumental in our research,” he says. “It provides real-world data and challenges we can address through our studies. This collaboration ensures our research has practical applications and can make tangible change.”
Mike Kittmer, the City of Kelowna’s Transit and Programs Manager, notes the importance of this partnership in navigating essential decisions that affect the community.
“Electrifying the BC Transit fleet is an opportunity to contribute to the city’s climate goals,” he says. “Partnering with UBC Okanagan to investigate technologies like rapid battery charging allows us to leverage academia to better understand the role these technologies may play in transitioning away from fossil fuel-powered buses.
“This is one way that the Central Okanagan can be a centre for innovation with BC Transit.”
As UBCO continues to innovate and collaborate, Dr. Hewage and his team promote lifecycle thinking to ensure all angles are considered.
“Lifecycle thinking allows us to pinpoint areas for improvement,” Dr. Hewage says. “We may not be able to do everything at once, but by focusing on one thing at a time while considering what still needs to be done, we can make significant progress.
“Embracing lifecycle thinking can steer us toward a cleaner environment, stronger economy and healthier society.”
