From Rooftop to Road: Solar Energy Fuels Ulster’s Electric Fleet
Ulster County’s electric buses are getting a solar boost thanks to NYPA’s recently completed project that includes a dozen fast chargers and a solar rooftop. A first-of-its-kind project for NYPA, the county’s Kingston depot serves as a model for other New York agencies looking to further decarbonize their transit operations.
Five electric buses and several paratransit vehicles operate out of the upgraded Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) garage and the new systems will allow the agency to further grow its electric bus fleet.
A group of planning committee members taking part in the New York State Association of Conservation Commissions’ Conference on the Environment took a field trip to the site Saturday. They learned from NYPA and UCAT representatives about the innovative retrofit of the bus garage from grant funding and engineering support to the design, construction and commissioning.
“This project demonstrates how early planning and close collaboration with the customer and service providers can result in a well-engineered, multi-system project that incorporates onsite renewables (rooftop solar system) and resilience via a back-up generator to support the infrastructure needed to charge the electric buses,” said Hugo, the eMobility engineer who co-led the NYPA-managed project.
Three chargers were originally planned but the county expressed additional sustainability goals for onsite renewables and resiliency so the project was expanded and rooftop solar was added, Hugo said. Utility service was upgraded and the project was “futureproofed” to accommodate additional buses and chargers (both fast charge and Level 2). The system can also be used to charge light duty vehicles.
After a five-year partnership, the most recent phase of construction resulted in a new 480-panel rooftop solar system atop the main building and garage of the Kingston depot. The system is generating 204 kW of renewable electricity to power daytime electric bus charging. An upgraded 400 kW back-up generator is now available in case of power outages.
Inside, 12 DC (Level 3) fast charging stations and four dual Level 2 chargers have been installed. The system was supported by NYSERDA, Department of Environmental Conservation, Dormitory Authority and the EV Make Ready program.
UCAT was recently honored with the Transportation Electrification Progress Award at NYPA’s Customer Energy Conference in Albany.
“UCAT has led the way in sustainable transportation in New York State, committed to reducing its carbon footprint and operational costs through fleet electrification and deployment of onsite renewable energy,” said Kristen with NYPA’s Customer Solutions team.
A similar fleet project is in the works for Broome County, which just announced its first fleet of electric buses. Its second phase will include rooftop solar as well as energy storage.
A paragraph was updated 11/5/25 to reference a recent award.