Market of the Month Library
Just in case you missed a month, we’ve curated all the Monthly Market Updates for easy access.
As new market opportunities appear, it's more essential than ever to take advantage of resources and programs like these. Take some time to view our market videos, download a resource or two, and share it all with your employees and potential customers. Together, we can expand the positive impact of propane on homeowners and businesses everywhere.
October 2023 - Energy as a Service
Now is the time to grow beyond the traditional propane delivery business model by operating as a full-service energy company. Utilize PERC resources to help your company stand out against the competition and offer energy as a service, ultimately increasing revenue and market share.
September 2023 - Grain Drying
It’s harvest season! As a propane marketer, understanding how the current year’s corn crop differs from previous years helps you be prepared to meet your ag customers’ needs. Utilize the Grain Drying Demand Models to evaluate propane needs and trends in your state or trade area and see how your area is tracking.
August 2023 - Winter Preparedness
Parts of our country are facing record high temperatures, hurricane season is here, and winter weather is just around the corner. Now is the time to talk to your customers and your staff to prepare for all conditions. PERC has resources available for you to start these conversations today.
July 2023 - Strategic Partnerships
Working with allied partners, the other businesses and tradespeople working with your propane customers on the same project, provides an opportunity to generate more customer leads and retain more current customers than you could alone. As we move into the heat of summer, devote some time to amplifying your business by building relationships with allied partners in all market segments.
June 2023 - Material Handling
June is National Safety Month, and on the 13th, we recognize National Forklift Safety Day. During this month, manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and other industries that rely on forklifts are encouraged to review their forklift training and safety guidelines throughout their entire organization. It is also the perfect time for you to review propane safety tips with your forklift customers.
May 2023 - Autogas Fleets
There are currently more than 60,000 propane autogas vehicles operating in the US. While the school bus market gets most of the attention here, there are three other autogas segments that are growing in market share and could soon surpass student transportation – paratransit, food/beverage, and delivery fleets. To learn more about how to grow your gallon sales with autogas, check out the autogas sales training series in the Learning Center, the Paratransit Market Data Tool, and sign up for May’s Propane Presents webinar.
April 2023 - Workforce Training
Learning in the propane industry is not a one-size-fits-all process. To help employees continue to grow, PERC has developed The Learning Center, an online training platform that gives learners and instructors instant access to all the educational programs and resources that PERC has developed. Watch to learn about the different programs available on The Learning Center, and a new app that will make remote learning even easier!
March 2023- Power Generation
A wide path approach is crucial to ensuring energy security. Commercial propane power generation provides clean, resilient energy that protects businesses by combating electric grid instability. Become familiar with the latest technologies to learn how you and your customers can benefit from propane power generation.
February 2023- Autogas Service Network
Successful autogas fleet programs have strong support and service systems. PERC now offers a nationwide map of over 500 dealers and facilities that service propane-powered vehicles. Learn about this service network and other resources available to begin growing your fleet today.
January 2023- Residential Environmental Messaging
As an industry, it’s our job to inform residential construction professionals about the environmental benefits of building with propane. Propane can help them achieve sustainability goals, meet above-code standards, and improve comfort for their customers. Utilize these resources to talk to construction professionals in your community about how building homes with propane is good for the environment and their businesses.
December 2022- Opportunities in the Equipment Rental Market
Equipment rental companies operate in every state, renting tools and small- to medium-sized equipment to building professionals as well as to DIY homeowners.
Learn more about the roster of propane equipment that can help these businesses lower capital costs, reduce maintenance, and cut annual fuel costs.
November 2022- Mobile Agriculture Equipment and General Ag Market Information.
As farmers and ranchers finish their harvest this time of year, many are also making purchasing decisions on new equipment for their farming operations. PERC’s Director of Agriculture Business Development Mike Newland shares resources that propane marketers can use to educate themselves and their agricultural customers on the propane-powered equipment that is available to increase efficiency on the farm.
October 2022 — Renewable Propane and DME
PERC’s Director of Research and Sustainability Gokul Vishwanathan is sharing some quick facts about renewable propane and how it builds upon the many benefits of conventional propane, as well as an introduction to renewable dimethyl ether. Utilize the resources below to learn more after the video.
September 2022 — Winter Prep
Have you started to think about your supply and service plans for the winter? This time of year is critical for planning, preparation, and clear communication to your customers. PERC has resources available to assist you with winter preparation.
August 2022 — Workforce Development
To help our industry partners recruit talent for a wide range of career opportunities, PERC helps find, train, and retain the next generation of the propane workforce through various outreach efforts. These efforts have been consolidated to one page on propane.com, Supporting the Propane Workforce. Watch the video to hear about some workforce outreach opportunities you can bring to your community!
July 2022 — Autogas Schoolbus
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program funding opportunity is now available, helping us grow the fleet of over 22,000 propane powered school buses already on the road in the United States. Learn how to work with propane school bus manufacturers to get these clean, cost-effective vehicles into your local school districts.
June 2022 — National Safety Month
June 14 is National Forklift Safety Day. Keep your company and employees safe by learning about regulations and safety requirements that must be followed when working with propane-powered forklifts.
May 2022 — Carbon Intensity
Being able to talk about propane’s benefits keeps us in the fight against electrifying everything. Learn the facts about carbon intensity so you can be armed and ready to use them in your conversations.
April 2022 — Autogas Funding Opportunities
Keeping up with available funding opportunities is hard work, especially since the notices can pop up quickly with short application windows. Now, you can sign up for PERC’s free, automated alerts that share when grants and other financial incentives are available to promote autogas within the states you service.
March 2022 — Remote Power Generation
Remote power solutions with propane help improve operational efficiency, decrease costs, and reduce emissions. Watch the video to learn more about how to grow this segment of your business.
February 2022 — Partnerships in the Residential Market
The busy winter season is a good time to grow a team of advocates for your company. In the residential and commercial markets, these allied partners include HVAC contractors, plumbers, construction and builder associations, and technical schools. Having allied partners can help you add new customers and retain current ones.
December 2021 — Winter Messaging
This winter season, make sure you are prepared to talk to customers on a variety of topics. PERC has resources in The Learning Center for your employees to learn how to respond to questions about supply and safety, while emphasizing propane’s benefits. Click on the resources below.
November 2021 - Entry Level Driver Training
As of February 7, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will require all new Commercial Driver’s License and Hazard Materials Endorsement applicants to successfully complete entry level driver training before they are eligible to sit for state CDL or Hazmat exams. PERC and NPGA have developed programs to satisfy this new requirement without having to send new drivers to an expensive or distant driving school. Watch the video to learn more about the new entry level driver requirements and available training.
October 2021 - Combined Heat and Power (CHP)
Storms like Hurricane Ida, which recently cut power to millions of people, demand a resilient energy solution independent from the electric grid. That’s why for the month of October, we’re focusing on propane combined heat and power (CHP) technologies. These compact, quiet, and incredibly efficient systems produce localized electricity and re-use waste heat to provide hot water and space heating for multi-family dwellings and commercial buildings.
September 2021 - Paratransit
The paratransit market is poised to expand its autogas vehicles! Transit fleets operate in every state to provide door-to-door rides and other services for members of their communities. Vehicles include high-capacity vans and shuttle buses that average about 600 gallons of autogas per month per vehicle. Because of the long-range travel, autogas is the most popular alternative fuel used in the paratransit market. So far, more than 7,000 paratransit vehicles operate on autogas in every region of the country — and it’s growing!
August 2021 - Grain Drying
Propane powers approximately 80% of grain dryers in the U.S. This month, we are highlighting the process of grain drying and why it is so important to the propane industry and consumers. Depending on the growing season, grain drying can stress our propane supply and logistics system. PERC’s Grain Drying Demand Models tool shows the progress of the current growing season and what we could expect from corn drying demand in the fall.
July 2021 New Propane Brand
The electrify everything movement has made it imperative for us to convince consumers that propane is a vital part of the energy solution. PERC plans to help drive this conversation by implementing a seismic shift in how we tell propane’s story through a new logo, tagline, and key messages. This shift in messaging and brand comes with a variety of resources that will help your company and state seize this opportunity. Take advantage of these assets to ensure propane’s role in the national energy mix and make your customers feel even better about their energy choice.
June 2021 Manufactured Housing
Propane and the manufactured housing industry go back to day one. The first manufactured housing units produced were RV’s. Next, we moved to parked model housing. Today, a manufactured home falls into two large categories, modular homes, and HUD code homes. One significant change in recent years is the approval by HUD of a new class of home that is being labeled Cross Mod. Throughout this month we will share resources, tools, and ideas that can help you grow this portion of the residential market.
MAY 2021 THE LEARNING CENTER
With heating season coming to an end, and training season ramping up, let us help you train your employees by getting set up in PERC’s Learning Center. This online library hosts over 400 safety, technical, marketing, sales, and market specific training courses for every role in the industry, and allows companies and employees to learn new skills or refresh some older ones on their own time, on their computer, tablet, or phone.
APRIL 2021 COMMERCIAL POWER GENERATION
With the arrival of spring and the promise of a robust building season, no topic is hotter than consumer demand for reliable power in the face of weather emergencies and overtaxed grid performance. Propane can help builders deliver more resilient homes and buildings as well as provide vital standby power.
February 2021 Material Handling Update
The material handling market is under siege by competitors, like electricity, and trends like warehouse automation. However, look no further than this space to see how innovation has only elevated the opportunity and benefits of using propane to satisfy the business needs of customers from warehouses to rental yards and beyond. View this market update to continue to learn how to best grow users and uses of propane in your business.