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The Propane Education and Research Council is a proud sponsor of the 2024 Virtual Concept Home by Livabl. The project, a collaborative effort between leading homebuilders, architects, and designers, shows how homes can utilize a mix of energy sources to meet homeowner demands and net-zero goals.
Tucker Perkins, PERC president and CEO, recently sat down with BUILDER to discuss propane’s future in homebuilding and how the low-carbon fuel remains a vital part of the energy mix.
Here’s a portion of the interview. You can read the full article here.
How effective is using propane during the extreme weather we’ve been experiencing due to climate change?
I think that’s one of the best features of propane because we generally have storage at customer locations. We are certainly prepared to handle those temperature extremes, wind extremes, and even fires.
Each homeowner can customize their solutions using propane, and that’s one of the things you would consider. Perhaps you bury your tank; maybe you shield your tank. There are all kinds of things you can do to minimize your exposure.
Can you tell us about some of the innovative uses of propane in new home construction and how PERC is applying them to the Livabl Concept Home?
We spend our days thinking about the home of the future and trying to get as much of that in today. We believe that the house of the future will look a little different. Maybe it looks a little more like the Livabl Concept Home. It would be a multifuel home; it won’t be a monofuel home. We love discussing how to marry the advantages of low-carbon fuels like propane or natural gas with the benefits of electricity. Let’s take the Livabl home. Inside, we’re using propane to heat hot water. Arguably, the most efficient way to do it is the lowest footprint of any appliance. And another key feature is that we’re using gas cooking because that seems to be what chefs and great cooks prefer. Inside and outside the home, we’ve included lots of fireplaces. There are outdoor living accouterments like grills, fire pits, and torches. We think about three things: Comfort, costs, both installed and operating, and we think about creating a desirable living space. I think one of the things we’re trying to do every day is create spaces that bring families together.
