Propane Council recognizes Fisher Vineyards with Energy For Everyone Hero Award for its environmental stewardship for six decades and counting The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is proud to present Fisher Vineyards with its prestigious Energy for Everyone Hero Award. Since 1973, Fisher Vineyards has remained steadfast in its mission to produce wines that Read more
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC)
Propane Council recognizes Fisher Vineyards with Energy For Everyone Hero Award for its environmental stewardship for six decades and counting
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is proud to present Fisher Vineyards with its prestigious Energy for Everyone Hero Award. Since 1973, Fisher Vineyards has remained steadfast in its mission to produce wines that honor the land they come from, and propane is an important component of this commitment.
PERC’s Energy for Everyone Hero Award recognizes the ways propane is revolutionizing businesses nationwide — contributing to enhanced efficiency, sustainability, and profitability. The award honors outstanding propane users and celebrates the success propane has brought to their operations and communities.
Located in beautiful Napa Valley, California, Fisher Vineyards is a family winery with locations in Calistoga and Sonoma County. Inspired by the passion and founding vision of their parents, three second-generation siblings lead the winery today. In 2018, Fisher was certified Napa Green for meeting the highest sustainability standards in the wine industry.
“For six decades, we have remained steadfast in our mission to produce wines that pay tribute to the land, as well as each member of our winery team, striving for classic balance and style that transcends time,” said Rob Fisher, owner of Fisher Vineyards.
Propane provides reliable, affordable, and efficient energy independent from the electrical grid system, offering protection against power outages. Fisher Vineyards utilizes propane for multiple applications critical to its operation, including:
- Refrigeration: Maintaining optimal temperatures during the barrel-aging process.
- Grape Preparation: Powering equipment used in grape processing and fermentation.
- Power Generation: Offering critical backup power during harvest and during electricity outages.
- Frost Prevention: Running fans to protect crops during frost events.
- Water Heating: Using propane boilers for efficient water heating.
- HVAC Systems: Ensuring consistent climate control across the facility.
“The Fishers excel in providing top-notch customer service while also meeting the highest sustainability standards in the industry,” said Bert Warner, director of commercial business development at PERC. “It’s extremely impressive, and we’re proud to present this award to their team as they continue to utilize propane as part of their ongoing efforts of contributing to a clean energy future.”
To learn more about Fisher Vineyards’ story of resilience, high-quality production, and unwavering focus on environmental stewardship, visit FisherVineyards.com.
For more information about propane’s role in commercial applications, visit propane.com/commercial.
By Bryan Cordill Buildings—including homes—are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, homes account for nearly 40 percent of carbon pollution in the United States, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. Builders and contractors have several options available to them to lower the carbon footprint of the homes they build. Not only Read more
By Bryan Cordill
Buildings—including homes—are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, homes account for nearly 40 percent of carbon pollution in the United States, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. Builders and contractors have several options available to them to lower the carbon footprint of the homes they build. Not only in the embodied carbon of the building, but also in the operating emissions of the home over its lifetime.
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) understands the need and desire for builders to do their part in the homes they build. Its Propane Construction Incentive Program encourages more builders and remodelers to incorporate clean, reliable propane into their projects. The program awards qualifying and selected construction professionals a monetary incentive for building or remodeling homes using propane appliances in exchange for sharing emissions data and insights regarding their propane use at each home.
Todd Fitzgerald is a builder and owner of Father & Son Construction in New Hampshire. He’s been building homes for 30 years and has participated in the Propane Construction Incentive Program since 2018.
“Building and living in a sustainable home is growing more and more important to my customers, so that makes it part of my job, Fitzgerald said. “When we’re out building and we can use propane, especially through this program, we do it.”
Builders across the country are participating in the Incentive Program and seeing the environmental benefits of using propane in the homes they build. In 2022, the program resulted in the elimination of more than 18 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year in more than 1,000 homes across 19 states compared to building the same homes all electric.
Eliminating over 18 million pounds of CO2e is a huge win for the planet. It’s equivalent to eliminating greenhouse gas emissions annually from:
- 1,839 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year.
- 1,038,249,446 smartphones charged.
- 1,075 homes’ energy use for one year.
Many people mistakenly believe an all-electric home is the only way to reduce or eliminate carbon emissions. But this data shows that pure electrification is not the answer, instead builders need to consider a strong energy mix in the homes they build, and that energy mix should include propane.
It will take decades and cost trillions of dollars to expand the country’s electric grid to service an all-electric housing stock. Not to mention, much of the U.S. grid electricity is produced by burning natural gas or coal. Propane is an immediate solution to accelerate decarbonization, as the findings from last year’s program show.
The Propane Construction Incentive Program offers a baseline incentive of up to $1,000 to builders or remodelers who upgrade to propane appliances in a new build or a remodel. Applicants can also earn an extra $500 on top of the baseline incentive based on their geographic location. Visit propane.com for more information.
The 2022 program awarded $1 million in funding to construction professionals who provided data from the Energy Planning and Analysis Tool comparing the emissions of the propane appliances to their electric alternatives. Installations included propane furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, cooktops, ovens, clothes dryers, outdoor grills, and standby generators.
“Participating in this program means there is extra money coming in to offset costs, which is really good,” Fitzgerald said. “Plus, it’s easy to sign up. I choose propane over other energy sources because it’s efficient and clean. It’s good for the environment, and that’s important to me and my customers.”
Builders and remodelers who participate in the Propane Construction Incentive Program and install propane appliances in their customers’ homes are not only creating a competitive advantage for themselves, but they are also helping decrease greenhouse gas emissions while delivering the comfort and efficiency their customers desire.
Learn more about the qualifications, including bonus regional and remodeling incentives, and apply at Propane.com/ConstructionIncentive.
Bryan Cordill is the director of residential business development at the Propane Education & Research Council. He can be reached at bryan.cordill@propane.com.