This Week in The PERC Update — July 30, 2010

• Council Releases 2011 Budget Plan for Public Comment
• Propane Fuels Off-Grid Camping Lodge
• Join Us in Baltimore for Remodeling Show
• Survey Offers Insight into Use of Propane in Commercial Building Projects
• Propane F-250s, F-350s Still Available
• Return Your API Survey by August 9
• Webinar to Show Fleets How to Go Green, Stay Lean

Council Releases 2011 Budget Plan for Public Comment
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) announces the release of its 2011 budget plan for industry and public comment. Comments received before 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 1 will be considered at the Council’s next meeting, October 6 and 7 in Baltimore. Download the 2011 budget plan. Send comments to PERC President and CEO Roy Willis by mail at Propane Education & Research Council, 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036; by fax at 202-452-9054; or by email at info@propanecouncil.org. (return to top)

Propane Fuels Off-Grid Camping Lodge
A new premium propane generator set from Generac is keeping company with some interesting green products in an offbeat location: the former Herkimer diamond mine in New York's Mohawk Valley, home to a solar-powered, off-the-grid camping lodge on a Kampgrounds of America property. The Generac unit recharges the batteries of a solar system during cloudy weather and produces electricity when the amount of power generated by the lodge's SolarMax photovoltaic panels falls below certain level or when the electrical demand exceeds the battery pack power available. Read more. (return to top)

Join Us in Baltimore for Remodeling Show
The Propane Education & Research Council will team with industry partners and appliance manufacturers to showcase new propane technologies and training opportunities at the Remodeling Show in Baltimore, September 15-17. Through the Propane Innovation Pavilion at the show, PERC and its partners will have a chance to connect with about 10,000 remodelers, home improvement professionals, general contractors, subcontractors, custom builders, and residential architects from around the country. If you are interested in serving as a volunteer in the Propane Innovation Pavilion, get in touch with PERC’s Aisha Parker at 202-261-2215 or aisha.parker@propanecouncil.org. (return to top)

Survey Offers Insight into Use of Propane in Commercial Building Projects
A new Harris Interactive survey reveals that 45 percent of commercial builders start thinking about energy sources for heating systems before the design process begins, and nearly half believe their opinions and recommendations affect customer decisions on which energy sources to use either a “great deal” or “quite a bit.” Among other highlights:

• About 60 percent of commercial builders build or renovate to meet local or national green standards.
• On average, commercial builders worked on 10 new construction projects in the past two years where natural gas was not available.
• Seven in 10 commercial builders are interested in learning more about comparative efficiency and new technologies.

To learn more, get in touch with Tracy Burleson, director of residential programs, at 202-452-8975 or tracy.burleson@propanecouncil.org. (return to top)

Propane F-250s, F-350s Still Available
Roush Performance announces that it’s not too late to get a propane-fueled Ford F-250 or F-350. The company says that Ford's order banks may have closed, but there are still some unsold F-250 and F-350 trucks out there. There are three ways to get a Ford Super Duty pickup that runs on propane, according to Roush: order a new truck from your dealer; order a used truck from Roush; or order a conversion system for a 2009 or 2010 Ford F-250 or F-350 already in service. Learn more. (return to top)

Return Your API Survey by August 9
Be sure to fill out the 2009 API survey of the sales of natural gas liquids and liquefied refinery gases and return it by August 9. The API survey is important for several reasons:

• It is our industry’s basic benchmark for overall propane sales and assessment collections.
• It is our primary source of information on how much propane goes to each market — residential, commercial, engine fuel, agriculture, and so on.
• It is critical to the allocation of state rebates, which account for one out of every five dollars PERC oversees.

Request a survey from API’s Crystal Harrod at harrod@api.org and call API at 202-682-8492 with any questions. (return to top)

Webinar to Show Fleets How to Go Green, Stay Lean
Sign up now for “How to Go Green and Stay Lean,” a webinar for fleet operators and propane marketers at 11 a.m. Eastern time on August 19. The webinar — presented by Steve Riley, fleet director for Coral Gables, Fla., and former fleet manager for Atlanta — will show you and your fleet customers how fleets can use propane without breaking the bank. (return to top)

If you have questions about PERC publications, get in touch with Gregg Walker, editorial and publications manager, at 202-452-8975 or gregg.walker@propanecouncil.org.