The popularity of propane autogas vehicles is increasing throughout the country. Fleets are discovering that propane autogas offers the lowest total cost-of-ownership available, reduced emissions and year-round reliability. Some of these fleets come from school buses, law enforcement, commercial delivery vehicles, or anyone who desires to convert their vehicle to run on propane. Landmark Services Cooperative recently had the opportunity to have Roger Hildreth, one of our Energy Products Specialists, speak with Pam Jahnke during the morning Farm Report on the benefits of propane autogas. “We can help from start to finish and we have different financing options,” stated Roger Hildreth.

There are many hidden costs associated with a vehicle over its lifetime. Aside from propane autogas consistently costing less than diesel, avoiding hidden maintenance costs will make the autogas engine edge out diesel. A typical diesel school bus oil change is 20 quarts. The propane autogas oil change is only 7 quarts and has a longer drain interval. Not only will you spend less on oil, you will not have to deal with the environmental burden of managing the disposal of waste oil. “The maintenance of the propane vehicle, that’s where you start to see the savings,” commented Roger Hildreth.

Propane autogas is a clean burning alternative fuel. Everyone benefits from the lower exhaust emissions from propane powered school buses, particularly the students and the bus drivers.  In addition, bus drivers enjoy the quieter operation of their buses that run on propane autogas. This allows bus drivers to focus on the road as well as more easily hear and communicate with the students creating a more pleasant and safer ride for all.

Benefits of autogas are also seen on cold weather operability. Diesel fuel needs to be treated and equipment also needs to be plugged in on cold nights to keep them warm and ready to start in the morning. Propane autogas vehicles start up instantly and the cabin warms up quickly. Technicians won’t have to spend time out in the cold to get the buses started and your electricity bill will be lower due to not having to use block heaters to warm the vehicles.

Summary of Benefits of Propane Autogas

• Takes less oil (7 quarts compared to 20+ for diesel)
• No DEF or additional exhaust filters
• Maintenance friendly engines
• No electric block heaters (saves on electricity costs)
• Propane contracting helps manage fuel costs
• Tax Incentives
• Clean burning alternative fuel
• Low emissions equals reduced carbon footprint
• Less waste oil to dispose
• No cold start issues in winter (propane does not gel)
• Cabin heats up faster in winter (improved driver and student comfort)
• More throttle response for better pick-up
• Quieter running engine (more pleasant and safer ride for driver and students)
• Cleaner exhaust enables longer allowable idling times

To learn more about propane autogas and connect with a Landmark Services Cooperative Energy Products Specialist, call 1.800.236.3276 or email energyinfo@landmark.coop.

As a heating and cooling contractor in Wisconsin we often say that heating is a necessity and air conditioning is a luxury. A traditional heating and cooling system is commonly referred to as a split system; a split system is a combination of an air conditioner or heat pump outside synced with a furnace or air handler inside your home. The traditional system does not always accommodate for spaces that ductwork is neither practical nor possible. Some common examples of these spaces would be homes with a new addition, a bonus room over the garage, a home with baseboard heat or homes built on a concrete slab. New technology has provided a solution to make heating and cooling available to everyone without the expensive costs of installing ductwork, this new technology is called a Ductless Mini-Split.

The Ductless Mini-Split system provides effective, and efficient heating and cooling to individual zoned areas. The way this system works is by extracting heat from inside your home and transferring it to the outside air during cooling season. The system will reverse its cycle in the heating season by collecting outdoor heat and transfers it inside the home. Ductless Mini-Splits use inverter technology, by heating and cooling in small increments. Each system can be customized by the number of indoor units installed. Systems can consist of just a single indoor unit to add heat/cooling to one room, or multiple indoor units to cover an entire house. Each indoor unit is its own heating/cooling zone and is controlled by an individual wall mounted thermostat or remote. Indoor units measure both the temperatures inside and outside and then adjust the motor speed accordingly. Precisely matching output to demand allows the unit to run at a high level of efficiency. Indoor units can be mounted on the wall as well as the ceiling or floor.
Installing a Ductless Mini-Split can be completed without any modifications to the house or individual room. The indoor and outdoor units are connected by one refrigerant line, which will only require one small hole on the outside of the house, and one hole inside the house behind each indoor unit. Because there is no ductwork the air that is transferred through this system is much cleaner than a forced air system. Another key feature that a Ductless system is well known for is their low level of noise; indoor units generate approximately 29 decibels of sound and the outdoor unit generates around 51 decibels of sound. To give you a better idea of how quiet these units are: a whisper is estimated to be around 20 decibels, and a light rain is around 30 decibels.

Please give us a call at 608-251-9010 for more information.