July 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 41

2

REDUCING EMISSIONS WITH
PROPANE MOWERS

For decades, gasoline equipment was the default option for
keeping greenspaces well maintained. But the equipment is
increasingly facing regulations as research continues to show
that the small gasoline engines on commercial mowers and
handheld equipment are major contributors to pollution.

1

LOW FUEL COSTS CAN FREE FUNDS
FOR OTHER PROJECTS

Parks managers and superintendents are often very aware of
their annual budgets, particularly in planning around capital
projects, such as new recreational facilities, expanding trails,
and renovations to existing facilities. With propane mowers,
parks can see fuel costs reduced by as much as 30-50
percent compared to regular octane gasoline, allowing those
funds to be relegated toward other projects.
One reason for propane's lower fuel costs is that the price of
propane traditionally falls between the prices of natural gas
and oil. This greatly limits market price ﬂuctuations compared
to the wild price swings that gasoline and diesel often have in
a given season.
Propane is also widely available across the United States. In
fact, approximately 90 percent of the propane in the U.S. is
also produced within the country, which helps insulate costs
from the whims of the global oil market and can be a huge
help when it comes time to plan budgets.

" OUR CREWS FUEL UP IN THE
MORNING AND DON'T COME BACK

In contrast, a study commissioned by the Propane Education
& Research Council found that propane mowers produce
fewer emissions than gasoline-equivalent units, reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent, nitrous oxide (NOx)
emissions by 19 percent, and sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions by
16 percent. Propane mowers also meet - and often exceed
- emissions standards in municipalities or regions aﬀected
by " ozone action days " that otherwise limit use of equipment
with internal combustion engines. Because of this, parks can
keep summer employees and daily maintenance from being
sidelined during a busy season.
The fuel is also recognized by the EPA as a non-contaminant
of air, soil, and water, making it safer to use around residents
and visitors who enjoy park greenspaces than gasoline, which
contains harmful chemicals and can cause damage to grass
and grounds if spilled.

3

PROPANE MOWERS INCREASE
CREW PRODUCTIVITY

Propane mowers oﬀer several advantages to daily
productivity, too, allowing crews to get work done faster and
move on to other projects. For one, full propane cylinders can
be delivered to a park's ﬂeet facility or easily ﬁlled up from a
bulk tank at the end of the day so that crews can quickly load
full tanks onto equipment at the start of their day and head
directly to a site. Additional full cylinders can even be loaded
onto trailers to swap out with empty cylinders during the day,
eliminating the need to stop at gasoline refueling stations.

UNTIL THE END OF THE DAY. "
CHRIS MOORE
SERVICE DIRECTOR
SPRINGFIELD, OHIO

To learn more about how propane mowers can
be used by parks and see case studies of current
parks departments using the fuel, visit
Propane.com/Resources-for-Municipalities.
July 2019 - Parks & Recreation

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