Propane Helps Fuel Municipal Groundskeeping

The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) released a new online video featuring footage captured by GoPro cameras shot from the equipment operator’s point of view to show what it’s really like to use a propane commercial mower. PERC is a nonprofit that provides propane safety and training programs and invests in research and development of new propane-powered technologies. PERC is operated and funded by the propane industry.

“We were looking for a fun way to show equipment fleet managers, department directors, and professional landscapers what it’s really like to operate with propane,” says Jeremy Wishart, PERC director of off-road business development. “These first-hand accounts are really incredible and we hope the video can serve as a virtual demonstration to those who might be considering a move to commercial propane mowers.”

The video also includes candid interviews with crewmen and supervisors from the City of Lake Charles and the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces (PROS) department to let viewers hear directly from mower fleets succeeding with propane. Public agencies and grounds maintenance departments of all kinds are turning to propane equipment for the fuel’s many benefits, including lower fuel costs and reduced emissions — both important facets to any municipal operation.

The City of Lake Charles, for example, wanted a way to improve local air quality by reducing emissions. The city saved more than $5,500 on fuel and maintenance with 16 propane mowers during 2015. By 2016, the city reported that by using propane equipment, it reduced greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 23,704 pounds. The city now uses 31 total commercial propane mowers.

Miami-Dade County’s PROS department needed an equipment solution that could meet the needs of southeast Florida’s year-round cutting season. Because the fuel showed considerable efficiencies in the field and cost reductions to the department, PROS now runs 32 total commercial propane mowers — 95% of the PROS fleet. With propane mowers, crews can get mowing done faster and move on to other aspects of the county’s landscaping duties.

View the video on the PERC website at this link. And, visit the PERC website to see resources for municipalities that are considering a shift to propane equipment.