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Propane Education & Research Council Approves Multiple Initiatives & Programs at First Quarter 2021 Meeting
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) met on February 10, 2021 to take up many national programs and projects. Here are some of the programs and projects that we thought may interest our propane industry readers: SAFETY & TRAINING
Docket 22819: 2021 Learning Management System will help continue PERC’s Online Learning Center. The center includes many FREE online safety and training including technical courses to continue to develop a professional, informed, and skilled workforce and trade allies. Courses include: Hazmat, OSHA, CSR Safety, and other job specific online courses from bobtail to transport to service. RESERARCH & DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Docket 22640: Development and UL Certification of a Propane-Fired Burner for a 4 kWe Stirling Generator provides funding for a Sencera proposal to modify for propane usage a prototype Stirling-based 4 kWe electric generator that is presently designed for natural gas. The device will need an updated burner and software. The modified unit will be submitted for UL certification and emissions testing with the intent of meeting or exceeding the CARB DG requirements. Successful UL certification of the 4 kWe generator system will lead to a competi-
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tively priced micro-CHP system suitable for the U.S. HVAC market. Docket 22788: Stirling Battery Ecosystem (SBE9000) Using Propane will provide fund for the last three years, Qnergy has deployed hundreds of its low maintenance remote-power systems in oil & gas, telecom, signaling stations, and various battery charging applications. Based on the lessons learned from this activity, Qnergy is now developing a new power generator called PG8000. The new generator will aim at three large underserved markets: (1) Remote EV charging for light weight vehicles, either direct or as a backup to a solar + battery system; (2) Powering remote Telecom towers through battery charging; (3) Backuppower for high-end residential and small commercial buildings. The new generator will have the same reliability and environmental performance as Qnergy’s marketed PG5650 (see brochure) and will be optimized for the above applications that rely on propane. The new generator aims to be lower cost (end user price $20,000 or less), higher power (8-10kW), and best-in class electric and electric + heat efficiency. The scope of work includes: R & D, prototyping, small quantity manufacturing, beta testing, and initial deployment and commercialization. Docket 22803: Techno-economic, feasibility, & life-cycle analysis of re-
Texas Propane • www.txpropane.com
newable propane will carry out a technical, economic, and sustainability analysis for renewable propane production pathways that PERC has identified. The project will encompass two levels of detail: • A deep dive into current and emerging sources of renewable propane (RP) from the renewable diesel (RD) and HEFA-jet manufacturing industries. Included will be technical and economic prospects for changing operating conditions in existing and planned RD production plants to optimize for production of a mix of RD and RP. The analysis will include a detailed determination of feedstock demand and supply-chain issues, emphasizing potential feedstock shortages due to planned refinery re-configurations where fossil crude is being phased out in favor of renewable feedstocks. The sustainability (life-cycle assessment) of these options will be quantitatively explored along with overall economics. • A high-level overview of emerging (near-term) technologies for renewable propane production will be carried out. This analysis will largely focus on technology readiness and feedstock supply issues and will identify other potential nearterm renewable propane sources. Detailed economic and LCA for these pathways will not be carried out. Among the solutions being considered by the propane industry to meet mandates for renewable content is the blending of propane made from bio-based and/or renewable feedstocks, which will simultaneously offset the use of fossil petroleum and positively impact both GHG emissions and carbon intensity. Propane produced from renewable feedstocks such as biomass or waste materials (waste cooking oil, animal fats, waste grease, etc.) is available in the USA but in limited supplies. Accordingly, these mandates place the propane industry at a
