Feature
PERC Council Approves New Training Programs, R&D Projects Many docket items move forward with fall meeting
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) met virtually on November 10, 2020 and approved the following programs, projects and endeavors: Docket 22560: EPA Propane Certification for Aisin 1.5kW CHP System, $60,000, for the launch of a propane variant of Aisin’s current successful 1.5kW natural gas Micro CHP product in North America this fall. Aisin would like PERC’s assistance with completing the necessary EPA certification testing for its propane system and to help with the propane industry’s adoption of this technology. Docket 22570: BRASH MICROCHP Project Demonstration, $64,000, to earn the confidence of HVAC professionals and their client homeowners about BRASH CHP and to provide safe and reliable heat and power to homes. The project is structured to provide hands-on experience with this new product at two independent test homes, with two independent installer teams, to support installer outreach in two or more regions. BRASH will benefit from the fresh insights of these installer teams and class-
14
room attendees, and PERC will benefit from a better qualified group of HVAC professionals. Finally, beyond the scope of this project, but certainly a focus of this whole BRASH development, is the benefit to homeowners who are concerned about the reliability of wintertime heat and power, and to citizens in general who are concerned about lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Docket 22665: Micro-Combined Cooling, Heat & Power, $700,000, to develop specifications, design, build, and test an all-in-one, high-efficiency, multiutility single solution capable of the following: 1) power generation 2) cooling for HVAC and/or refrigeration 3) space heating 4) water heating 5) power storage 6) power sell-back to grid 6) renewable power connectivity 7) emissions reduction/control 8) silent operation (targeting low 50s dB level) 9) continuous or standby duty 10) modulation to meet demand most efficiently. Project Objectives: Five physical proof-of-concepts which meet or exceed the agreed upon specifications to deliver cooling, space heating, water heating, and power.
Texas Propane • www.txpropane.com
Docket 22726: Carbon Emissions Reduction Program for Builders, $1,250,000, to provide an updated builder incentive program by PERC to demonstrate that electrification in the building environment does not equal decarbonization. To calculate the emissions reductions from propane homes that are built vs their allelectric counterparts, we will use the Energy Planning Analysis Tool (EPAT). The EPAT compares the grid emissions information from EGRID and the energy that will be consumed in a home based on the specific efficiencies of the appliances such as HVAC, water heating, clothes drying, etc. The tool will allow for the comparison of the components of the home built on propane with a home that could have been built with all-electric appliances built in the same area. The program will allow PERC to collect data from across the country and showcase the carbon and other emission reductions and the environmental benefits from these homes. Docket 22618: Ford 7.3L V8 LPG Industrial Engine, $104,160, to develop the newly released Ford V8 7.3L LSI engine on propane for the off-highway industrial market. Numerous markets will be targeted such as irrigation/agriculture, orchard frost protection, dewatering solutions, generator sets on LP vapor, and large forklifts. Previously, Ford’s largest offering was a 6.8L engine, so this will open up new applications that the 6.8L didn’t satisfy. The 7.3L is also a CAM in block engine so the packaging is extremely favorably compared to the previous Ford LSI engines. With increased displacement and smaller packaging, EDI sees this engine as a major platform for industrial OEMs to integrate into their products for the next 15 years. Docket 22623: Ford 3.5L V6 on LPG, $173,723, for Engine Distributors, Inc., which is in the middle of offhighway industrial LPG calibration work for the 3.5L engine to replace the current Ford 3.7L V6 engine. A challenge with
