The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) launched a new identity for propane that signals a seismic change in how to view this reliable energy source. The new brand, PROPANE Energy for Everyone™, highlights propane’s role in ensuring energy equity and reducing carbon emissions. “Americans are beginning to appreciate the value of propane in a wider Read more
PERC
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) launched a new identity for propane that signals a seismic change in how to view this reliable energy source.
The new brand, PROPANE Energy for Everyone™, highlights propane’s role in ensuring energy equity and reducing carbon emissions.
“Americans are beginning to appreciate the value of propane in a wider energy mix after seeing the vulnerabilities of the electric grid in Texas and California and around the country,” says PERC President and CEO Tucker Perkins. “Propane is clean, affordable, and available right now. Unlike the electric grid, it does not require trillions of dollars in infrastructure investment that will create a burden on those who can least afford it. Propane offers solutions for climate, health, and equity.”
The PROPANE Energy for Everyone™ brand was created by PERC’s newly selected creative agency of record, Elevation Advertising, after a competitive review. It is rolling out to propane industry partners in anticipation of consumer and market-specific campaigns this fall.
“As we familiarized ourselves with the energy sector as part of the competitive review, we realized that propane has a remarkable story that’s not being told,” says Elevation’s co-founder and executive creative director, Aaron Dotson. “Propane is part of a clean energy mix that complements other renewable systems to help reduce carbon emissions today, right now. With the national energy conversation shifting more toward sustainable solutions every day, it’s the perfect time to share propane’s story.”
The PROPANE Energy for Everyone™ brand was the top performer in testing with homeowners, business owners, energy influencers, and propane professionals. Millions of Americans use propane for heat, hot water, cooking, and power generation at home and at work. It is also a popular fuel for school buses, emergency first-responder equipment, high-end restaurants, remote farms, and countless other applications.
“That’s why propane is energy for everyone,” adds Dotson. “Because everyone deserves access to energy. Everyone.”
“The Pro-Energy Icon that forms part of the logo is designed to recall the many users and uses of propane,” Dotson says. “But it’s also calling to mind a stylized landscape of the cleaner world it’s helping to create.”
The new brand platform is being introduced to national propane providers and state associations with video, direct mail, and marketing collateral that they can use to communicate the benefits of propane to their customers.
“The many propane industry volunteers who helped us choose a new agency and develop the new brand proved themselves to be extremely strategic thinkers,” says Erin Hatcher, senior vice president of marketing and communications at PERC. “With their help, Elevation accomplished an incredible amount of thoughtful work in a short amount of time. We’re excited to be forming this partnership as we continue to educate people about the many benefits of clean propane, the energy for everyone.”
Use these tips to keep customers comfortable this winter Do you know how to ensure your tankless water heater installations perform optimally this winter? Tankless water heaters — known for their on-demand hot water, low energy use, and compact size — are popular among homeowners. Propane-powered systems offer an additional advantage: they can be installed Read more
Use these tips to keep customers comfortable this winter
Do you know how to ensure your tankless water heater installations perform optimally this winter?
Tankless water heaters — known for their on-demand hot water, low energy use, and compact size — are popular among homeowners. Propane-powered systems offer an additional advantage: they can be installed virtually anywhere.
For customers located in regions that experience snow and frigid temperatures, there are a few considerations for HVAC professionals to keep in mind to ensure their customers’ comfort year-round.
Here are eight tips for specifying, installing, and maintaining tankless systems in cold climates:
- Size the unit for the cold. As temperatures drop, more time and energy are needed to heat water to the desired level. To ensure customers’ tanks meet demand throughout the year, it’s important to know how they’ll perform in cold weather. For example, in Washington D.C., a unit that can produce 8.5 GPM on a hot summer day will only produce 5 to 6 GPM on a cold winter day.
- Design for the coldest conditions. Be aware of how low ground temperatures can go and how much water a household will need. Also consider the difference between the set unit temperature and the ground temperature, also known as the Delta T. The bigger the gap, the lower the unit’s flow rate will be.
- Bring it inside. Many tankless systems have some degree of built-in freeze protection. Check the product specs, and your region’s historical weather patterns, to determine where to install the tank.
- Vent smart. Proper venting is important. Installations should avoid freezing winds and have sufficiently long vent runs. In cold areas, the minimum vent run recommendation is six feet.
- Keep vents clear of snow. Before a snowstorm, remind customers to keep a few feet around the vent clear of snow. Some tankless models offer air intake from the outer pipe — if that’s blocked, the unit may turn itself off.
- Educate customers with recirculators. For customers whose systems have a recirculating loop, remind them to turn off that function when bad weather is on the way. If the vent termination is snowed under, the unit will eventually power off with an error code.
- Consider condensation. Drain condensate from condensing units into a conditioned space to avoid drain freezes, which will cause the unit to turn off.
- Be ready with backup power. Many tankless systems need electricity for freeze protection and ignition. A propane standby generator can help ensure that customers’ hot water will continue to flow, even during a power outage.
For more information about propane tankless water heaters, visit Propane.com/Water-Heating.
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.
PERC revamps website to showcase the versatility of propane The Propane Education & Research Council recently relaunched its website, propane.com, which was redesigned from the ground up to help users find even more information about all the things propane can do in a user-friendly format. All of the great resources that builders were used to Read more
PERC revamps website to showcase the versatility of propane
The Propane Education & Research Council recently relaunched its website, propane.com, which was redesigned from the ground up to help users find even more information about all the things propane can do in a user-friendly format. All of the great resources that builders were used to finding on PERC’s previous site, BuildWithPropane.com, is located on the new site, too.
“We took everything that construction professionals told us they loved about our old site and incorporated it into the new propane.com,” said Jesse Marcus, PERC director of residential and commercial business development. “The site is filled with content to educate residential and commercial construction professionals how to stand out from the competition, enhance their reputation, improve their projects’ carbon footprint, and much more.”
Construction professionals can find videos, case studies, emissions data, and fact sheets showcasing the propane-powered technologies and applications available, along with their advantages.
To learn more about propane-powered technologies, or to access online resources available from PERC, visit propane.com.