“For the eighth consecutive year, we are so grateful to our partners at the American Red Cross for the opportunity to sponsor this event alongside our friends and neighbors at the Jersey City Police and Fire Departments,” said Nandini Sankara, Spokesperson at Suburban Propane. “It is with a great sense of humility and appreciation that we take part in this auspicious day in remembrance of all those who gave their lives on 9/11, and we encourage all who are available to join us in donating lifesaving blood not only on 9/11 but year-round.”

The post Suburban Propane Remembers Those Lost on 9/11 appeared first on Suburban Propane.

David’s House is a nonprofit that provides a place to stay, healthy meals, and support for families with children receiving treatment through Dartmouth Health Children’s Hospital in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Volunteers from Suburban Propane also assisted David’s House staff in preparing gift bags for their upcoming 23rd annual fundraising golf tournament.

The post Suburban Propane Teams Up with David’s House to Prepare Snack Packs for Families with Hospitalized Children appeared first on Suburban Propane.

The first Saturday of September marks National Tailgating Day. Established in 2016, National Tailgating Day is a holiday where fans are encouraged get out and attend these social gatherings and spend time enjoying each other’s company before the big event – whether it be a sporting event, concert, or whatever event warrants a tailgate!

While tailgating differs from region to region, some things are standard throughout, such as: an automobile, comfortable chairs, snacks, games such as cornhole or catch, good music, tasty beverages, and of course, a propane grill to cook up all that great food!

Here are a few tips to observe while celebrating National Tailgating Day:

Gather Supplies Ahead of Time

The propane for the grill is important, but if you have no food, you have no tailgate. Make sure you’ve been done your shopping, prepping, and marinating the day before so all you have left to do is grab the ice and pack the car.

Rules of the Game

Be aware of the rules of your location before you go. Nothing puts a damper on your party faster than having it shut down before its even started.

Early Bird Gets…. The Space?

Get there early and scope out your spot! Talk with your crew and strategize – do you want to be by the grass, by the bathrooms, by the entrance, or do you prefer the exit? Whatever you choose, make sure you arrive early enough to get the spot you want and have room for all your friends.

Make Some Space

While location is important you also need room for all your stuff, including your propane grill and tank. While fun is important, room to grill away from seating is key as nobody enjoys smoke in their face. Make sure to never place a propane grill under a tent either!

Shut it Down

It’s Game Time! Make sure you double check that everything securely shut off on your propane grill and that you’ve closed the valve on the propane tank. Do not put the tank or the grill in your car, give them time to cool down. Always ensure both items are securely stowed whenever transporting.

The post September 3 Marks National Tailgating Day! appeared first on Suburban Propane.

Whether you like pitching a tent or traveling with the modern conveniences of an RV, propane is versatile and portable so it’s a perfect choice for fueling outdoor living. You can use propane for:

– RVs – cooling your motor home and refrigerator

– Heaters – keeping your water and family warm on those cool nights

– Camp stoves and grills – fueling your cooking sources

– Lanterns – lighting your campsite

To help you prepare for any upcoming travel, here are some helpful tips:

– Bring plenty of clean drinking water

– Keep a first aid kit handy

– Pack non-perishable food

– Take sunscreen and rain gear

– Get a supply of propane

If we can be of any assistance along the way, contact us by clicking below or calling 1-800-PROPANE (1-800-776-7263). Safe travels!

The post The Smart Energy Choice for Camping appeared first on Suburban Propane.

Power outages can happen at any time, and the cost of being unprepared can be significant, impacting systems like smoke and fire alarms, elevators, refrigeration units, and different types of equipment: heating and cooling, health and safety, or communications and security.

Propane standby generators offer an energy-efficient, reliable solution to keep facilities up and running during unexpected disruptions, protecting them from the damage a power outage can cause. Here are three compelling reasons to consider propane for a facility’s standby energy source not only during National Preparedness Month, but all year long:

The Chappell Hill Volunteer Fire Department in Texas can run its new generator for approximately three weeks on a full propane tank.

Having a reliable standby power solution is critical for facilities that need to stay up and running, no matter what. The promise of uninterrupted operation not only brings with it peace of mind for the facility’s owners, operators, and tenants, but it can also prevent a potentially overwhelming financial loss.

Resiliency is about more than just staying operational, though. A resilient building can function before, during, and after a power outage. A facility with standby power can resist hazards brought on by major disasters and even reduce the impact of a disruptive event. In fact, a volunteer fire department in Chappell Hill, Texas, discovered how unprepared it was for a prolonged power outage during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021.

“Winter Storm Uri was pretty rough for our department,” says Michael Kmiec, chief of the Chappell Hill Volunteer Fire Department, “We were experiencing rolling blackouts, and we didn’t have any heat at the fire station. People were calling to ask if our facility could serve as a warming station for area residents, but at the time, we didn’t have a working power source.”

After going days without power during Winter Storm Uri, the Chappell Hill Volunteer Fire Department installed a 1,000-gallon propane tank and standby generator to ensure they can deploy their trucks and power their facility if another power outage occurs.

Standby generators powered by propane are typically installed as fully automated systems that ramp up quickly to provide power after an electric grid disruption. In fact, propane systems supply supplemental electricity in as little as 10 seconds after an outage. And the generators’ autonomous design requires little to no effort from the building occupants to activate or maintain. Plus, installation is easy. Standby generators are safely and permanently installed outside a building. In addition, they are available with an automatic transfer switch that activates the generator in an outage.

After going days without power during Winter Storm Uri, the Chappell Hill Volunteer Fire Department installed a 1,000-gallon propane tank and standby generator to ensure they can deploy their trucks and power their facility if another power outage occurs.

Propane has many notable advantages when compared with its diesel counterparts. Its indefinite shelf life makes it the ideal back-up fuel for generators, whereas diesel degrades over time and has much higher maintenance costs.

Propane is non-toxic, non-poisonous, and won’t contaminate soil or water. It beats out diesel in terms of emissions, too. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) data shows 16 percent fewer carbon emissions per unit of energy for propane compared with diesel. In a study with the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) shows that, when compared with units using grid electricity, a 7-kilowatt propane-powered generator produces about 62 percent fewer sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions, and a 100-kilowatt unit produces up to 72 percent fewer SOx emissions.

“Now that we have the generator, we can better serve the community of Chappell Hill if a storm like that happens again,” Kmiec says. “We can run our new generator for approximately three weeks on a full propane tank. And we have the peace of mind knowing propane is a lot cleaner than diesel or gasoline.”

The same energy source that powers a facility’s generator can power many other major energy systems, too. As a matter of fact, customers can attain whole-building resiliency by combining a propane generator with a suite of propane systems and appliances. Propane’s energy versatility extends to building heating, water heating, cooking appliances, fireplaces, clothes drying, and outdoor amenities. Choosing propane for these critical building systems can reduce the building’s reliance on standby power, often allowing facility managers to downsize to a smaller, more affordable backup unit.

A propane generator’s features make it easier for commercial buildings to achieve more comprehensive protection without having to go through the fuel storage, maintenance, reliability, and emissions challenges of a diesel-fueled generator.

Since Uri, more equipment has been purchased to address the frequent and intense severe weather events impacting the electrical grid. According to a study commissioned by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), 23 percent of the more than 4,000 surveyed have purchased a generator over the past two years and 54 percent have considered one since Winter Storm Uri.

Every year, billions of dollars in economic losses are caused by weather-related electricity outages, which account for more than 70 percent of all power outages nationwide. During this year’s National Preparedness Month, consider propane as a clean, versatile energy source to keep your operation running no matter what.

Courtesy of PERC (Propane Education Research Council).

The post Three Reasons to Future Proof Your Facility with Propane appeared first on Suburban Propane.

The meeting, attended by members of the New Jersey State Legislature, Morris County Commissioners, and local mayors included a presentation by Suburban Propane’s President and CEO, Michael Stivala, as well as a tour of the Company’s Whippany, New Jersey headquarters. The Morris County Chamber of Commerce recently honored Mr. Stivala with their 2022 Business and Community Service Award, which recognizes outstanding leadership in the community.

Mr. Stivala also currently serves as Chairperson of the New Jersey Regional Council of the American Red Cross. His additional board appointments include: Member of the Board of Supervisors of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. since November 2014; Member of the Board of Oberon Fuels since October 2020; Member of the Board of the International DME Association since October 2021; and Member of the Board of Independence Hydrogen since March 2022.

The post Suburban Propane Hosts Morris County Chamber of Commerce’s Government Officials Meeting at Whippany Headquarters appeared first on Suburban Propane.

Pulling from his more than 45 years with the Company, Paul provided valuable insight on how a bobtail operates, demonstrating its key safety components and how they operate, should they ever report to an accident involving a bobtail.

Serving the communities in which we operate is part of Suburban Propane’s mission. Because of the high regard for safety that we carry as a company, the State looks to experienced Suburban Propane employees, like Paul, for help in training their teams in both Monroe and Genesee County.

The post Suburban Propane Provides Specialized Bobtail Training as Part of New York State Hazmat Training Course appeared first on Suburban Propane.

As a national corporate partner of the American Red Cross, Suburban Propane provides support where it is needed most: aiding with blood collection efforts, supporting safety events in underserved communities, and providing propane and other resources in the wake of natural disasters.

Mr. Stivala has served on the Regional Council of the American Red Cross New Jersey Region since January 2020. As Chairperson, he will work closely with members of the New Jersey Regional Council, providing insight and guidance to help drive continued growth for the New Jersey Region. The New Jersey Region includes three chapters and three blood donation centers, and serves more than 8.8 million people living in the state.

The post Suburban Propane President & CEO Appointed Chairperson of New Jersey Regional Chapter of the American Red Cross appeared first on Suburban Propane.

– New Construction.

– Replacements/Retrofits.

– Delivers endless supply of water.

– Only heats water when it’s needed.

– Compact size saves roughly 12 square feet of floor space.

– Saves more than $150/year in energy costs when compared with typical electric storage water heaters.

– Roughly half the CO2 emissions of electric storage tank systems.

– Qualifies for credits and rebates worth hundreds of dollars (new construction and replacements.)

These systems (also known as “demand” systems) eliminate “standby losses” which occur in systems with hot water storage tanks — like the typical electric water heater. Standby losses occur as the heated water in the storage tank is constantly re-heated while the tank loses energy to the surrounding environment — even if the hot water isn’t being used in the home. Propane tankless hot water heater systems do not suffer standby losses, and only heat water when it’s actually being called for in the home.

The compact size saves roughly 12 square feet of floor space compared with many electric systems — a huge benefit in tight floor plans, including multi-family projects. Their compact size and direct-vent design (meaning the air for combustion is ducted directly to the unit from outdoors) also allow flexible installation locations in closets, tight spaces, and even outdoors. Propane tankless systems also offer the versatility and scalability to serve any residential building, from smaller 3 GPM systems (~140 kBtu/h) to multi-unit combinations of higher capacity 4-5 GPM systems (199 kBtu/h).

Propane tankless water heaters provide an endless supply of hot water, averaging over 200 gallons/hour based on the listed models in the AHRI Certified Products Database.

Many of these systems can maintain a ≥ 4 GPM flow with a 75 degrees Fahrenheit temperature rise during operation. Conversely, the average 50-gallon electric storage water heater in the AHRI database has an average first-hour delivery rating of just 64 gallons, while listed 50-gallon heat pump water heaters average about 67 gallons.

These flow rates are less than one-third of the delivery rate for propane tankless systems (see graph). For homeowners, this gap in hot water delivery rates is often the difference between a hot or a cold shower. Also, it’s important to know that many propane tankless units can modify their heating output to very low levels. This lets them respond effectively to low flow (~0.5 GPM) demands in the home.

A propane tankless water heater transfers propane’s thermal energy into hot water by up to a 0.99 Energy Factor (EF).1 To achieve such high efficiency ratings, many propane tankless systems utilize a condensing design, where additional thermal energy is extracted from the combustion gases to pre-heat incoming water, increasing overall system efficiency.

Long-term cost effectiveness can be defined by Annual Cost of Ownership (ACO), which is the cost for buying a water heater (amortized over its life) and paying for its annual energy bills. In a comprehensive 2015 analysis of residential water heating systems, two propane tankless systems were found to offer the lowest ACO in eight out of nine scenarios covering different climates and housing types when compared with electric water heaters, heat pump water heaters, and heating oil systems. Propane tankless’ strong cost-effectiveness stems from the system’s long service life (estimated at 20 years by multiple industry sources), low annual energy costs, and recent design changes to other systems driven by federal standards which have increased their costs.

Propane tankless systems also qualify for credits and rebates which can make them even more cost-effective. For example in 2015, a propane tankless system in many states will qualify for a rebate on the order of $250 from a state propane gas association.

Except for water heaters powered by renewable energy, all systems will have some environmental impact linked to their operations in the form of CO2 emissions. In the case of electric systems, the upstream electric power generation creates CO2 emissions. Based on energy and environmental analysis of different energy sources, propane tankless systems offer:

Roughly half the CO2 emissions of electric storage tank systems.

Roughly 33 percent lower CO2 emissions compared with heating oil storage tank systems in the Northeast.

Given Energy Factors as high as 0.99, propane tankless systems operate very efficiently and therefore have relatively low fuel consumption and costs. View the fact sheet below to read how propane condensing tankless systems save roughly $150-200/year compared with typical electric storage water heaters or heating oil systems.

The post The Power of Tankless Water Heaters appeared first on Suburban Propane.

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