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BPN Staff

Compiled by BPN Staff

 

  • Feature Articles

    Zero Net Energy Study Reveals Homeowners Willing to Pay More

    New research reveals that a growing number of residential customers are prioritizing zero net energy (ZNE) homes and are willing to pay more to achieve ZNE status. The findings are part of a study commissioned by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) and conducted by the research firm Harris Insights & Analytics LLC. For the purpose of the survey, a ZNE home was defined as one that produces as much energy as it uses to those polled. “The study revealed some really interesting data and we were excited to see that the majority of respondents expressed an interest in energy-efficient and ZNE home products,” said Bryan Cordill, director of residential and commercial business development at PERC. “These insights can help guide construction professionals looking...

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  • Feature Articles

    Monumental Study Finds Propane Buses Reduce Harmful Emissions

    (August 23, 2019) — After more than a year of testing, researchers at West Virginia University determined that emissions from propane-fueled school buses are significantly lower than those from diesel buses. Nearly a million students in more than 900 school districts across the country ride to school in propane buses each day. West Virginia University researchers measured nitrogen oxides (NOx), highly damaging emissions that are federally regulated due to their negative impact on human health and the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to NOx exhaust can trigger health problems like asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory issues. The primary source of NOx is motor vehicles—including school buses. “This study is monumental from an emissions and health perspective for students, schools, and communities...

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  • Feature Articles

    World’s Largest LPG Event Heads To Amsterdam For 2019 Global Gathering

    (August 23, 2019) — This year, the World LPG Association (WLPGA) and Liquid Gas Europe are joining together from Sept. 24–27 to bring the biggest LPG event in the world, the 32nd World LPG Forum & 2019 European Congress , to Amsterdam. The LPG industry is always seeking to reach outside the industry to help inform others about the industry and the contribution it makes to our environment, and also to encourage others to look into the LPG sector as a potential to either grow outside businesses or to grow personal and professional networks. WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE WORLD LPG FORUM AND EUROPEAN CONGRESS Traveling the globe each year, this influential event combines not only a high-level conference and a major exhibition, but also...

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  • Feature Articles

    Boehlke Bottled Gas Awarded “Transportation Partner of the Year”

    (August 21, 2019) CEDARBURG, Wisc. — GO Riteway Transportation Group recently recognized Boehlke Bottled Gas , as a premier supplier to their company that goes above and beyond to meet GO Riteway standards and is seen as an integral part of GO Riteway’s success. During its annual Night of Honors, GO Riteway’s co-owner and chairman, Ron Bast, presented Roger Boehlke and Chad Kroening of Boehlke Bottled Gas with its “2019 Partner of the Year” Award. In 2011, Riteway acquired GO Airport Connection and began incorporating propane-powered vehicles to upgrade its fleet by partnering with Cedarburg-based Boehlke Bottled Gas to build and operate a 24/7 propane autogas fueling station, according to a press release. According to the press release, “The partnership has developed and strengthened throughout...

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  • Feature Articles

    New Video Touts Propane Mower Benefits

    WASHINGTON (August 20, 2019) – The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has added a new video to its popular Straight Talk video series highlighting Barnes, Inc., a Madison, Wisconsin-based landscape contractor that operates 75 propane-powered mowers. Available online on Propane.com , the new video provides an updated look at Barnes’s experiences using propane mowers five years after being initially featured in a 2014 Straight Talk video discussing its initial foray into operating with propane. “Barnes is a textbook example of a contractor who starts by integrating just a few propane mowers into its fleet, and then ultimately expands its propane use into much more of the fleet after experiencing the fuel’s numerous benefits,” said Jeremy Wishart, director of off-road business development at PERC. “In...

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  • Feature Articles

    Implementing a 20% Rule: Why and How

    Delivery efficiency is both critical and controllable. David Lowe, vice president of Pro Image Communications (Grand Blanc, Mich.), notes that propane marketers can’t control the weather or the wholesale price of the fuel, but they can control their own company culture and delivery efficiency. With the right roster of drivers, equipment, and methods of dispatch, he says, marketers can boost their delivery efficiency and productivity. In his seminar at the 2019 NPGA Southeastern Convention, “Delivery Efficiency Case Studies,” Lowe presented data and offered tips to help marketers improve their productivity. Both the data and the tips come from real-life experience. Lowe represents Pro Image as an Energy Professional providing propane clients with unique marketing, sales, training, and consulting programs. His seminar was based on data...

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  • Feature Articles

    Kansas City’s Entire School Bus Fleet Goes Propane Saving $500K Per Year

    (August 15, 2019) — The Kansas City Star reports that Kansas City Public Schools students will board brand new propane-fueled buses this month when they head back to the classroom. The entire bus fleet will operate on propane under a new contract with Student Transportation of America. The district is rolling out 155 75-passenger buses, marking the first time a school district in the metropolitan area has operated its entire transportation service on the alternative fuel. The new propane buses “are more efficient,” Chris Walls, Kansas City Public Schools transportation director, tells the newspaper. “They are better from an emissions standpoint. They burn cleaner and they run about 30% quieter.” He added that, with propane costing about 91 cents/gal., they are also cheaper to fuel....

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  • Safety

    Reduce Liability Exposure By Implementing Proper Safety Measures

    Can you recall these popular adages? “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” “It’s better to be safe than sorry.” “Safety doesn’t happen by accident.” Proverbs such as these likely resonate with the majority of propane marketers who understand the very existence of their business hinges on one critical factor—safety. Sayings like these stand the test of time because they serve as practical reminders to be careful, to play it safe, to not become complacent. Safety underpins everything as it relates to the overall success of a propane business. In a recent seminar, trial attorney John G. Hansen of McCoy Leavitt Laskey LLC, a national catastrophic fire and explosion law firm, pointed out how many gallons would need to be sold to...

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  • Safety

    Baltimore Terminal: Designed for Speed, Convenience, Safety

    (August 14, 2019) — To learn what transport drivers want from a terminal, two of the principals of Tri Gas & Oil (Federalsburg, Md.) got in a transport truck and experienced it firsthand. That paid dividends when the company decided to build a new propane bulk terminal in Baltimore for its newly launched affiliate, Mid-Atlantic Rail Services (MARS). “We are a discerning buyer,” says Nash McMahan, president of Tri Gas & Oil. He and his father Keith McMahan, chairman and CEO of Tri Gas & Oil, spent time in the transport truck before beginning the project. Based on what they saw, he says, “We wanted to provide high-speed loading, ease of getting in and out of the facility, and a facility drivers will want to...

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  • Feature Articles

    FREE Missouri VW Settlement Funding Workshop

    KANSAS CITY, MO (August 12, 2019) — The next round of funding from the Missouri VW Settlement is now open and the state is accepting grant applications in two categories. The Metropolitan Energy Center (MEC) wants to help your company or municipality apply for this outstanding funding opportunity. A free workshop will be held Friday, August 16th, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Project Living Proof, 917 Cleaver II Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri. County and city governments are invited to apply to repower or replace Class 4-8 diesel trucks and can receive up to 75% of associated costs. Private- and public-sector bus fleets are also encouraged to apply for funding to replace or repower diesel transit and shuttle buses. Reimbursement will range from 25-75%,...

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