PERC releases results from 2024 Propane Construction Research Program

The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has released the results from its 2024 Propane Construction Research Program (PCRP).

With nearly 2,000 projects completed across 23 states – including first-time participation from South Carolina, North Carolina, Minnesota and Arkansas – the program, PERC says, continues to demonstrate propane’s contributions to creating healthier homes.

According to PERC, the PCRP is a national research program designed to collect data from participating builders to better understand how propane is used in residential construction. As part of the program, builders complete a survey with project details about the homes they build or remodel using propane, covering topics such as consumer perception and overall challenges, and receive compensation upon completion for meeting the qualifying requirements.

Data from the 2024 program shows that builders using propane-powered systems collectively reduced an average household’s carbon dioxide output by an average of 35 percent. The program also found that choosing sustainability doesn’t necessarily mean higher costs, as 68 percent of builders reported that propane-powered homes cost the same or less to build than all-electric alternatives.

“Builders across the country are proving that propane can produce high-performance and energy-efficient homes while maintaining affordability,” says Bryan Cordill, director of residential business development at PERC. “Year after year, this program shows propane’s ability to reduce emissions and how it will continue to support the growing consumer demand for sustainable housing.”

To date, the program has collected data from more than 5,300 homes across the country, helping to cut 40.4 million pounds of carbon output – which is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 4,276 gasoline-powered vehicles driven for an entire year or the CO2 emissions from the energy needed to power 2,462 homes for a year, according to PERC. In addition to its impact on emissions and cost savings, the program is also changing the mindset of builders who previously favored all electric.

“The PERC builder program has allowed us to work with builders on projects where they initially were convinced that going all electric was the best option,” says Bill Moore, sales manager at Conger LP Gas. “With the tools on the PERC website in conjunction with the PCRP benefits, builders in our area realize the value-added proposition that propane brings to the project.”

Applications for the 2025 PCRP are now open. To qualify, licensed U.S. builders or remodelers must be at least 18 years old and install at least two propane appliances in the home in 2025. One of these appliances must be a boiler or furnace, hydronic air handler, combi boiler, tankless or storage tank water heater, or a hybrid heat pump with propane emergency heat. New construction homes can receive up to $1,000 in compensation, while remodel projects that replace a heating oil- or electric-powered appliance with a propane appliance are eligible for an additional $500 bonus.

To apply or learn more about the PCRP, visit propane.com/pcrp.

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