Clean, Quiet, Powerful: Santa Clara University's Journey to a Battery Fleet

To reduce emissions and noise while maintaining productivity across 200+ acres, Santa Clara University switched most of its fleet from gas to battery-powered tools—and hasn’t looked back.

Challenge:

Maintaining one of California’s most beautiful campuses comes with certain challenges, such as managing occasional noise concerns, fuel costs, and the need to reduce emissions. Gas equipment is powerful, but it requires maintenance that causes downtime and adds expense. Transitioning to battery-powered tools increases efficiency and supports the university’s environmental goals and concerns regarding noise and emissions. Although some crew members were initially skeptical about making the switch, the shift was ultimately embraced due to the sustainability and operational improvement battery-powered tools offer.

Solution:

Santa Clara’s transition to battery-power started with an equipment grant that allowed the facilities team to test several brands. While there were a few early challenges with some of the competing systems, ECHO quickly emerged as the preferred brand based on reliability, power, ergonomics, and technical support.

Before long, ECHO’s 56V battery lineup was fully integrated into Santa Clara’s daily operations. Hedge trimmers, pole saws and handheld blowers replaced most two-stroke units in the residential and dormitory zones across campus. Training focused on battery management and charge cycling, helping the crew adapt their workflow.

Benefits and Results:

FUEL REDUCTION

Reduced fleet fuel use by nearly 90%. 

MAINTENANCE SAVINGS

Eliminated engine maintenance time and costs on hand-held units. 

NOISE REDUCTION

Noticeably quieter operation near classrooms and residential environments. 

SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT

Reduced emissions reinforce campus-wide environmental goals.