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Agricultural Applications of Propane: Tobacco Curing

The agricultural applications of propane are numerous. The Propane Education & Research Council points out that propane is used on 865,000 U.S. farms for irrigation pumps, grain dryers, standby generators, and other farm equipment.  In our Agricultural Applications of Propane series, we will take a look at the role of propane in the following: tobacco curing, grain drying, fruit drying and crop drying. Today, let’s look into how propane factors into tobacco curing.

Approximately 50% of tobacco produced in the United States is flue-cured, and propane is the primary fuel used in the process. Almost all bulk-curing barns built since the early 1970s are equipped with propane gas burners.

Combustion gases have been found to produce tobacco-specific nitrosamines, which are deemed to be carcinogenic. Producers are now required to retrofit, or change all flue-curing barns to operate only with indirect-fired curing systems. In these systems, direct mixing of flue gases with curing combustion gases is prevented by passing combustion gases through heat exchangers or by allowing combustion to take place outside of the barn with the resulting heat being conducted into the barn via hot water or steam.

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Take the Plunge! Switch to Propane Tankless Water Heaters Today

Spring is here! It’s the best time to clean out your home, clean up your lawn and garden, and freshen up your business. There’s not a better time to review your home and business and their needs. One thing you may want to consider is a propane powered tankless water heater. Here are the top reasons to go tankless!

(Photo courtesy of http://www.rinnai.us/)

For your business:

Heating water with electricity can account for 14-25% of annual energy usage. Commercial propane tankless water heaters are an excellent option to meet the hot water demands of restaurants, both large and small. Additionally, many tankless water heaters qualify for tax incentives and rebates as part of government energy conservation goals.

Commercial tankless water heaters offer economical, on-demand, endless hot water with up to 60% fewer emissions than electric water heaters. These systems link multiple interchangeable units, providing higher output and redundancy ensuring that hot water is always available.

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New Hose-Free Technology Revolutionizes Propane Delivery

AmeriGas is constantly striving to improve our service to our customers and we’re proud to introduce our latest advance, the iPropane Delivery System (patent pending).  The iPropane Delivery System (the “i” stands for “intra-tank”) is truly a breakthrough in hose-free propane delivery technology.  For over 50 years, we’ve been delivering propane the same way, we hope this new technology will revolutionize the way we serve our customers.

The iPropane Delivery System required years of research and testing and countless trials to perfect the technology behind it.  The iPropane System requires two new components, the iPropane Collector and iPropane Distributor, and can be retrofitted to an existing propane installation.  The iPropane Collector attaches to your propane tank and acts like a funnel to receive propane, utilizing a proprietary valve to ensure steady flow into the tank.  The iPropane Distributor is a new nozzle that attaches to our bobtail delivery trucks and focuses the liquid propane into a stream.  The stream of propane is direction-controlled via an ion-charge process through the iPropane Distributor ensuring that 100% of the propane reaches the iPropane Collector and ultimately gets into your tank.

AmeriGas is proud to be the first in our industry with hose-free propane delivery using the iPropane System.  We believe our customers will benefit from faster deliveries, helping us make sure they always have the propane they need.  While we are currently in the final development stages, we encourage anyone interested to sign-up for iPropane and be first on the list as we roll out the system nationwide.

Some of our other on-going projects at AmeriGas Labs include:

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Landscaping Company Saves $10,000 With Switch to Propane

Master Trimmers, a 10-year-old lawn and landscaping business in Marshfield, MO, converted two of its commercial mowers to propane in March, a few months before the business’ summertime peak. Dustin Leighty, the company’s founder and president, was optimistic that propane would prove cost effective in the long term but was quickly impressed by the immediate savings he saw.

Master Trimmers, a landscaping company in MO, saw savings of $10,000 last year by converting to propane autogas.

“We did save around $10,000 this year on propane,” Leighty said. “We have 12 that are converted and we plan to do the rest of the fleet this year.”

Overcoming misconceptions. A veteran of the landscaping business, Leighty started mowing lawns when he was 12 years old. He started Master Trimmers 10 years ago. When he first considered switching his fleet of 15 commercial mowers to propane last year, Leighty grappled with many of the same misconceptions first-time propane users in the green industry often have.

“We were worried about a lack of power and how efficient they were really going to be,” Leighty said. “Is it going to run as efficiently as gasoline, and am I going to get my investment back?”

Taking advantage of the Missouri Propane Education & Research Council’s Lawn Equipment Assistance Fund (LEAF), Master Trimmers received $1,000 toward each of its 10 conversion kits, reducing the up-front costs of converting..

“The cost and time savings have had the most impact,” Leighty said. “Even if I didn’t save any money on fuel, the time saved alone with on-site refueling would be worth it.”

Less maintenance, more efficiency. Ease and mechanical efficiency with propane-fueled equipment are among the most impressive improvements Leighty has seen over gasoline, with Master Trimmers reporting substantial savings on routine oil changes alone.

Posted in Autogas and Clean Fuels, Metro Lawn | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cut your Mowing Costs with Propane. And get up to $1,000 per mower to prove it.

(Photo courtesy of Metro Lawn)

Spring is here and mowing season is around the corner! If you’ve been on the fence about propane powered mowers, now is the time to make the switch! It’s a win-win situation when you choose propane – fuel savings, longer engine life, reduced in carbon emissions. And $$$ incentives.

With the Propane Mower Incentive Program you’ll get $1,000 back for each new qualifying propane-fueled mower purchase, or $500 back for each qualifying mower conversion. In return, you can share your experience for one mowing season.

Don’t wait too long or you’ll miss a season of savings! Go green, save green. Choose propane. The Metro Lawn/AmeriGas alternative fuel specialists will make it easy for you to get started with propane.

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6 Reasons More Home Builders Are Recommending Propane

Did you know that 70% of all new homes use either natural gas or propane? Propane is a great way for home builders to accommodate a home buyer’s desire for gas when natural gas lines aren’t available. Propane is the clean, reliable, portable energy that goes anywhere and powers almost anything. When natural gas isn’t available, AmeriGas propane gives today’s home buyers all the benefits of natural gas – and a choice beyond oil and electric. So why are home builders recommending propane? Let’s look at the top six reasons:

1. More Referrals. By recommending propane when natural gas is not available, home owners are getting what they really want – gas appliances. And home builders are getting excellent future referrals.

2. Enhanced builder image. By offering home buyers an option they may not have thought of, the home builder’s reputation will grow as a knowledgeable builder dedicated to pleasing the home buyer.

3. Greater resale value. Homes with gas appliances have greater resale value, which reflects positively on both the home builder and the home owner.

4. Better profit potential. With more applications for using propane inside and outside of the home, home builder profit potential increases.

5. Bigger savings. By building communities utilizing a centralized propane system, home builders can capitalize on increasing profit potentials.

6. Environmental protection. Both home builders and home owners will feel good about using a clean-burning energy source approved as an alternative fuel  by the Clean Air Act of 1990.

AmeriGas is America’s largest leading propane supplier, delivering propane to more than 2 million customers nationwide. We also serve a growing list of builders who are discovering the many ways propane can please their buyers while also enhancing their own profitability. Like to learn more about our propane systems? Contact your AmeriGas account manager today.

For more information about propane for home builders, there are several resources at the Propane Education & Research Council to:

Related articles:

Propane: Why More Homebuyers & Builders Are Making the Choice
Propane Appliances Help Heat Up Your LOVE
Cheap & Easy Ways to Save Energy in Your Home – Home Heating

 

Posted in Home Builders | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thoughts on the EIA’s March 2013 Short-Term Energy Outlook

Every month the U.S. EIA (Energy Information Administration) releases their Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO).  The March edition of the STEO report was released on March 12th with this highlight specifically called out:

Total U.S. liquid fuels consumption fell from 20.8 million barrels/day (bbl/d) in 2005 to 18.6 million bbl/d in 2012. EIA expects total consumption to rise slightly over the next two years to an average of 18.7 million bbl/d in 2014, driven by increases in distillate fuel and liquefied petroleum gas consumption, with little change in gasoline and jet fuel consumption.

The propane component of that increase is estimated to be about 20,000 bbl/d.  As of March 1st this year, propane demand is already up 329,000 bbl/d, an additional 20,000 bbl/d represents 6% more demand growth.  So where is this additional demand coming from and how does it affect pricing and supply?

First supply – we’ve detailed much of the growth in new propane sources previously, but the summary is that about 50% or so now comes from natural gas versus oil, specifically from “wet” shale basins.  That is a good thing for a number of reasons including that propane becomes more of a domestic fuel rather than relying on imported oil in terms of energy security but also for price.  As anyone who has to fill up the tank of their car knows, oil prices are volatile, seemingly rising and falling on a whim.  So by having more propane come from natural gas instead of oil, some of that volatility that could lead to shocks in propane prices is removed.  So ideally propane prices should be more stable, but it’s not just the inputs that drive propane prices.

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LP Gas Hall of Fame to Honor Eugene V.N. Bissell, Retired President and CEO of AmeriGas

Announcement from LP Gas Magazine, as written by: Jennifer Webb

LP Gas Magazine will honor its six Hall of Fame inductees from the Class of 2013 during a black-tie event on April 12 at The Ritz-Carlton in downtown Atlanta. They are Eugene V.N. Bissell (AmeriGas), Ronald “Zane” Chastain (LP Gas Magazine), William C. Hill (Pargas), Herbert V. Hills (IMPCO), Walter H. Johnson (Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association) and Robert B. Nicholson (Eastern Propane Corp.). Click here for more information and to buy tickets.

Eugene V.N. Bissell didn’t know much about propane when he started in the industry. And yet, the Wharton School of Business graduate listened and learned along the way, ultimately becoming president and CEO of AmeriGas, the country’s largest propane retailer, and one of the industry’s most influential people.

(Eugene V.N. Bissell. Photo courtesy of LP Gas Magazine)

“I just love the product,” says the self-described “propane nerd” who seeks out its unique uses in his global travels. “It’s so universally valuable that I just get a kick out of seeing it everywhere and how it’s used.”

Watching food sizzle on propane-fueled woks aboard long, thin boats in Thailand fascinates Bissell, 59, but it was his enthusiasm for the people who market, distribute and deliver propane that propelled the Minnesota native and longtime East Coast resident to become a leader in the industry.

Bissell extended that leadership to the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), serving as chairman at a contentious and pivotal time in the organization’s history: He shepherded the group through its difficult decision to move its headquarters from its longtime home in Lisle, Ill., to the nation’s capital.

The son of a grain – then sugar – executive, Bissell’s family moved 12 times and lived in six states and Puerto Rico before he graduated from high school, pushing him at an early age to meet new people and adjust quickly.

“Every place you go is interesting,” Bissell says. “One of the things I enjoyed at AmeriGas was getting to travel to different areas of the country. You get to meet such nice people in all different parts of the country, see how they live and learn what’s important to them.”

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The Science of the Cylinder

Have you ever wondered what goes on inside your AmeriGas® Propane Cylinder? What kind of magic happens that cooks your food to such perfection? How does this substance power the outdoor heating lamps that keep you warm, or act as fuel in cars?

Ponder no longer! We are breaking down the science of the cylinder to ease your inquisitive yearnings and help you impress all your friends at your next cookout.

Propane (C3H8) is a versatile energy force that is more dense that air in its vapor form, but as a liquid, is lighter than water.  70% of the propane in use today is produced by refining natural gas. A “green” fuel, propane is colorless and odorless. However, in your cylinder, propane is in both its liquid and vapor forms and has a bit of a stench. In order for our senses to detect propane, an identifying (and stinky) odor called ethyl mercaptan is added.

The propane in the cylinder you pick up at any of our 45,000 convenient AmeriGas® Propane Exchange locations is 270 times more compact then the gas produced when the liquid boils. When propane boils, the cylinder gets cold, and the gas released is highly flammable, as shown with this special piece of training equipment.

Posted in AmeriGas Cylinder Exchange, AmeriGas Propane, Propane Cylinder Refill, Residential Propane | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Propane: Why More Homebuyers & Builders Are Making the Choice

Give your buyers all the benefits of natural gas they love, even when it’s not available. Building beyond the natural gas lines? Discover the possibilities of propane. It’s the clean, reliable, affordable energy source that gives homebuyers all the benefits of natural gas, plus the portability to go virtually anywhere.

Great living in an all AmeriGas home!

It’s like natural gas. Safe, convenient, reliable. The main difference is it’s delivered in a truck rather than through a pipeline.

Safety. Propane has a remarkable safety record. Statistics compiled by the National Fire Protection Association indicate that the safest way to heat is with gas.

Comfort. Compared with electric heating, propane heating is consistent, warmer and just feels better.

Extreme versatility. Propane gas can power virtually anything in and out of the home - any appliance, any comfort!

Affordability. Propane appliances generally cost less to operate than electric appliances, based on US Department of Energy data, national averages. 

Efficiency. Because the air gets hotter (120 degrees vs 90 degrees for electricity), propane heats the home faster and maintains the warmth longer than an electric heat pump.

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