Don’t Overlook Clean Solutions of Propane for Small Engines

We all want lower emissions. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom signing into law a small engines ban?is a mandate toward electrification we cannot afford environmentally or financially.?The Propane Council is passionate about educating consumers regarding the impacts of a ban and how propane small engines provide a clean air benefit today. PERC’s mission is to elevate propane in the national energy conversation dispelling the clean air myths of the electrify everything movement.

Fighting climate change with reliance on one energy source is like using a screw-driver as every single tool. We all need to work together to reduce emissions and it’s important to consider other clean energy solutions—like propane.

Propane is a low-emissions alternative for small engine applications, but it’s getting even cleaner as the propane industry and top brand manufacturers continually work to improve propane engine technologies, exhaust emissions and fuel efficiency.

Recently, small engine technology has reached a new level of clean emissions with?Briggs & Stratton announcing its Vanguard??400 single-cylinder engine?that’s been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as compliant with the Clean Air Act emissions standards.?

This is the first and only engine in its class with a manufacturer’s warranty and to receive EPA certification with a converted engine. The converted Vanguard 400 engine features a catalyst muffler reducing CO emissions by 80 to 95 percent. “This engine passes the nitrogen oxide clean engine EPA standards of today” according to Christine Davison, senior marketing manager of commercial power at Briggs & Stratton.

Briggs & Stratton’s Vanguard engine is just one example of how the propane industry and top brand manufacturers are continually working to improve propane engine technologies, exhaust emissions, and fuel efficiency. Additionally, companies like Alliance Small Engines and Onyx Solutions offer aftermarket conversations for popular small engine models.

The switch to all-electric equipment presents a separate set of challenges for industry pros. Andrew Bray, vice president of government relations for the National Association of Landscape Professionals, said the zero-emissions commercial-grade equipment that landscapers use is also prohibitively expensive and less efficient than the existing gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and other small machinery.

Gas-powered commercial zero-turn mower costs $7,000 to $11,000, but its zero-emission equivalent costs more than twice that amount, he said. Batteries are a major expense, too. Bray said a three-person landscaping crew will need to carry 30 to 40 fully charged batteries to power its equipment during a full day’s work.

With propane today, crews can avoid expensive costs associated with batteries, downtime for recharging, and restrictions brought on by electric cords—all without sacrificing environmental impact. If your area is facing restrictive mandates in the name of clean energy, think again.?Propane is already providing a clean alternative.?Propane is Energy for Everyone.

To learn more about the environmental and operational benefits of propane, visit Propane.com. For more information on products and innovations, visit vanguardpower.com.