How Renewable is Propane?

Written on: October 2, 2023

Propane is an eco-friendly, U.S.-made fuel that’s getting even greener.

Did you know propane is listed as an alternative fuel in the 1990 Clean Air Act and the Energy Policy Act of 1992? That may surprise some people. After all, there’s much discussion these days about the most environmentally friendly way to heat our homes and appliances, and propane isn’t always mentioned prominently.

At Koppy’s Propane, we’re proud to deliver an eco-friendly and efficient fuel that you can be proud to use in your home.

Where Propane Comes From

Pretty much all the propane you use in your home is American-made. Conventional propane is a co-product of natural gas extraction and oil refining. No new wells are drilled to produce propane, and its price is typically lower and much more stable than other energy sources.

Propane’s Environmental Impact

When considering the environmental impact of an energy source, a good metric to use is carbon intensity (CI). Carbon intensity tells us how many grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) are generated to produce a given amount of energy. Here is a comparison of several common home energy sources:

Source: Propane Education and Research Council

Why does electricity have a high CI rating? Both nationwide and in the Keystone State, power generation for the grid relies heavily on fossil fuels.

And while natural gas may have a lower CI, its primary component is methane, which is over 80 times more powerful at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2 over a 20-year period. Propane contains no methane and emits virtually no particulate matter.

When you heat your home with propane, you enjoy superior fuel efficiencies from today’s furnaces and boilers — often as high as 98.5 percent! The same exceptional fuel efficiencies exist in propane water heaters, dryers, cooking appliances, and home amenities.

Renewable Propane — The Next Stage in Green Energy

Conventional propane is good for the environment and your home, and the emergence of renewable propane promises an even greener future.
Renewable propane comes from many of the same feedstocks as biodiesel, including:

• Used cooking oil
• Animal fats and tallow
• Woody biomass
• Municipal and household waste
• Inedible corn oil
• Soybean oil

Renewable propane is chemically identical to conventional propane, but its CI is even lower. Renewable propane derived from domestic, non-rendered, used cooking oil has a CI score of only 20.5, and research into other feedstocks and blends promises to lower that score even further.

While not widely used in homes yet, renewable propane production grows each year. By 2030, we anticipate that propane, renewable propane and other innovative blends will be the most widely available, affordable, carbon-neutral energy solution.

Koppy’s Propane is here for Pennsylvania homes

With offices in Williamstown, Carlisle and Wapwallopen — and a service area spanning Central Pennsylvania — the Koppy’s team has the region’s most reliable propane delivery operation. We offer no-fee automatic delivery, which takes all the stress of monitoring your fuel usage and puts it on our shoulders.

Let’s work together to ensure you never run out of clean, efficient propane. Reach out today to become a Koppy’s customer.