Washington — The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is celebrating the second annual National Propane Day on October 7, 2023. National Propane Day is an opportunity to celebrate all the ways propane keeps America running and to highlight all the benefits propane offers to users everywhere, including homeowners, businesses and construction professionals. “Propane is Read more
PERC
Washington — The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is celebrating the second annual National Propane Day on October 7, 2023. National Propane Day is an opportunity to celebrate all the ways propane keeps America running and to highlight all the benefits propane offers to users everywhere, including homeowners, businesses and construction professionals.
“Propane is energy for everyone, ensuring resiliency, energy equity, and reducing carbon emissions in communities throughout the nation,” said Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of PERC. “On October 7, we are celebrating National Propane Day by reminding people about the benefits of propane—it’s a clean, reliable, available, and versatile energy source.”
Millions of Americans use low-carbon propane for heat, hot water, cooking, and power generation at home and at work. It is also a popular energy source for school buses, emergency first-responder equipment, high-end restaurants, agriculture operations, and numerous other applications.
As a highly efficient and reliable energy source, propane is also an ideal choice to ensure homes, businesses, and construction crews stay resilient. Propane generators ensure homes and businesses can power essentials when weather strikes or the electric grid goes out. For construction crews, portable propane generators ensure energy is always within reach to power tools and lighting.
As part of National Propane Day, PERC is also celebrating the continued growth and production of renewable propane—an ultra-low carbon option that further moves the propane industry down the path to zero carbon emissions. Renewable propane is made primarily from plant and vegetable oils, animal fats, or used cooking oil. It offers the same great features as conventional propane—reliability, portability, and power—with the added benefit that it introduces no new carbon into the environment.
To learn more about how propane can help construction professionals, visit Propane.com.
Increase efficiency, lower emissions with a clean energy source made in the USA This Earth Day, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is reminding builders, architects, engineers, and contractors that propane-powered systems can help buildings reduce emissions and their overall carbon footprint. “Achieving sustainability goals in new construction or renovation projects is a team Read more
Increase efficiency, lower emissions with a clean energy source made in the USA
This Earth Day, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is reminding builders, architects, engineers, and contractors that propane-powered systems can help buildings reduce emissions and their overall carbon footprint.
“Achieving sustainability goals in new construction or renovation projects is a team effort, requiring input from the builders, architects, engineers, and contractors as well as from the owners, operators, and facility managers who run and occupy buildings,” said Bryan Cordill, director of residential and commercial business development at PERC. “As states and municipalities continue to adopt more demanding emissions standards, it’s important to consider the emissions profile of a building’s systems and appliances—and the energy source powering them.”
Commercial construction professionals and their customers frequently look for reliable, available power solutions with a low emissions profile. Ensuring a sustainable operation is more important than ever as commercial sites try to become better environmental stewards, making propane-powered systems like furnaces, boilers, backup generators, and water heaters an even more compelling choice.
For example, propane water heaters use less source energy and generate fewer greenhouse gas (GHG), nitrous oxides (NOx), and sulfur oxides (SOx), emissions than conventional electric resistance water heaters. When compared to electric heat pump water heaters, propane water heaters have comparable source energy and GHG emissions, with significant reductions in SOx, according to data from the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and PERC.
Propane-powered backup generators produce considerably fewer emissions than their diesel counterparts. Propane burns cleaner than diesel, reducing NOx and SOx emissions, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide. Data from the Department of Energy (DOE) shows diesel produces 16 percent more carbon dioxide emissions per unit of energy than propane. Additionally, when propane is stored on site, either above or below ground, there’s no risk for land or groundwater contamination. Diesel, on the other hand, has the potential to contaminate soil if it spills or leaks.
“Versatile propane systems can meet the demands of a wide variety of commercial spaces like restaurants, schools, warehouses, hospitals, office spaces, and retailers” said Cordill. “And because propane is an independent and highly portable energy source that works well with other clean energy sources, businesses can rely on it for clean power and energy resilience–not only on Earth Day, but all year long.”
To learn more about how propane can help construction professionals meet environmental and efficiency goals this Earth Day, visit Propane.com/Commercial-Buildings-and-Construction.
Propane and solar can work together to play a large part in national energy conversation Solar Appreciation Day is Friday, March 11, and the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is sharing ways that construction professionals and their customers can use propane and solar energy together to reduce their carbon footprint. “Solar PV, an intermittent Read more
Propane and solar can work together to play a large part in national energy conversation
Solar Appreciation Day is Friday, March 11, and the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is sharing ways that construction professionals and their customers can use propane and solar energy together to reduce their carbon footprint.
“Solar PV, an intermittent electricity producer, is a low-emission, renewable energy source,” said Bryan Cordill, director of residential and commercial business development at PERC. “However, relying only on solar power can be difficult in regions due to a variety of reasons like the amount of daylight hours during winter or tree cover. Propane can help.”
Currently, propane is used by nearly 12 million U.S. households for home heating, water heating or cooking, and by thousands of American businesses. The more propane appliances a business or home has, the lower the amount of solar power needed to operate lights or charge cell phones. Hybrid systems that run on propane and solar can be tailored to a project’s unique needs, providing lower first costs and reduced ongoing energy costs and emissions.
Large, sustained power outages have continued over the last two decades according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In 2021, more than 8.6 million people experienced a power interruption. Severe weather-related problems have driven much of the increase in large outages shown, as reported by the DOE. In response, consumers are investing in alternate power solutions. This increased demand for clean energy sources is why construction professionals need to be knowledgeable about different energy sources, and on the lookout for info on solar PTO and propane.
“We need to consider a mix of energy sources (propane, solar, electric, natural gas) to keep our homes and businesses running,” said Cordill. “We can do that with a low-carbon emissions energy source—propane is here now to make that impact. A diverse energy mix ensures reliability during critical events, like severe weather.”
For contractors interested in improving a home’s carbon footprint in an affordable and reliable way for customers, propane is a viable energy solution. When propane is used with solar power systems, emissions are reduced, and reliability is increased. Discover more about the environmental benefits of propane at Propane.com.
Explore the benefits of propane CHP and micro-CHP systems Driven by the climbing costs of electricity and increasing grid outages, consumers and businesses are searching for affordable, reliable energy solutions. The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) created a new resource for residential and commercial construction professionals that outlines the benefits and capabilities of propane-powered combined Read more
Explore the benefits of propane CHP and micro-CHP systems
Driven by the climbing costs of electricity and increasing grid outages, consumers and businesses are searching for affordable, reliable energy solutions. The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) created a new resource for residential and commercial construction professionals that outlines the benefits and capabilities of propane-powered combined heat and power (CHP) units.
A propane-powered CHP unit uses a propane engine to power a generator that produces electricity. It then uses the heat that’s generated for home or building heating and to heat water. Available in a wide range of capacities, CHP systems are ideal for single-family homes, apartment buildings, small businesses, utility power, and large commercial and industrial applications.
“CHP systems offer residential and commercial customers an energy solution that’s environmentally friendly, affordable, and incredibly reliable—plus, many won’t go down with the electric grid,” says Bryan Cordill, PERC’s director of residential and commercial business development. “Vulnerabilities in our electric grid are causing Americans to seek other reliable energy options, and we want them to know they can rely on propane anytime, anywhere.”
The free, downloadable brochure details some of the key benefits of propane-powered CHPs, including:
- Propane-powered CHP and micro-CHP systems outpace the efficiency and emissions of traditional heating or water heating systems, surpassing energy savings from even the most efficient boilers.
- In commercial micro-CHP systems, propane units reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent compared with diesel diesel and 50 percent compared with electric.
- Propane models reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 13 percent compared with natural gas and 50 percent compared with electric.
Download PERC’s new brochure to learn more or visit Propane.com.
Propane CHP units offer resiliency, efficiency, and environmental protection Driven by the rising costs of electricity and increasing frequency of power outages, homeowners across the country are searching for energy solutions that are affordable, efficient, and reliable. When it comes to efficiency, there’s no doubt that micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) beats electricity supplied over Read more
Propane CHP units offer resiliency, efficiency, and environmental protection
Driven by the rising costs of electricity and increasing frequency of power outages, homeowners across the country are searching for energy solutions that are affordable, efficient, and reliable.
When it comes to efficiency, there’s no doubt that micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) beats electricity supplied over the grid. No longer limited to industrial and manufacturing applications, high-efficiency CHP systems have been making their way into more project types—including residential homes—through smaller micro-CHP units.
The basics of CHP and micro-CHP systems
The concept behind the micro-CHP system is simple: The unit replaces a traditional furnace or boiler and water heater with a single appliance that produces both hot water and heat as well as electricity for use in the home. Because the unit runs on propane and many units can start without power from the grid, it offers resilience and energy independence in the event of a power outage without the need for a standby generator.
Suppliers and builders who work with the technology say it can add up to considerable savings over time based on factors such as home size, location, and local electricity costs, but the value of CHP and micro-CHP units can be found nationwide.
Available in a wide range of capacities, CHP systems are ideal for single-family homes, apartment buildings, small businesses, utility power, and large commercial and industrial applications. For example, 1-3 kW units are ideal for 1,800-2,500 square foot single-family homes, 3-10 kW units work well for single-family homes with greater heating loads (like pool heating) and multi-family commercial and light industrial applications, and 10-50 kW units can power residential apartment buildings and commercial buildings (like restaurants).
Micro-CHP systems offer unmatched efficiency
A propane-powered CHP and micro-CHP unit’s total efficiency far outpaces the efficiency of traditional heating or water heating systems, providing operational savings from even the most efficient boilers.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the electricity that comes to a typical single-family home in the U.S. is only about 33 percent efficient. That’s because the heat used to generate it in a coal- or gas-fired power plant is lost, as is some of the electricity during transmission over high-voltage power lines.
Compare that to micro-CHP, which uses an on-site gas- or propane-fired engine to generate electricity while capturing the engine’s heat to produce hot water. These systems are typically 60 to 80 percent efficient, with some systems nearing 90 percent efficiency, according to the EPA.
CHP units are clean and environmentally friendly
Propane-powered combined heat & power (CHP) units produce significantly fewer harmful emissions, making it a better option for everyone—including customers. And as construction professionals know, environmental considerations continue to grow across the residential market.
Notably, the micro-CHP unit can reduce a home’s carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 50 percent, or 4.2 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Additionally, propane models reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 13 percent compared with natural gas and 50 percent compared with electric.
To determine if propane is the right fit for your next residential project, visit Propane.com.
Bryan Cordill is director of residential and commercial business development for the Propane Education & Research Council. He can be reached at bryan.cordill@propane.com.