Commercial Propane Uses: How Businesses Can Benefit

Heating and Climate Control

Space Heating

Businesses, especially those in colder climates, rely on propane-powered furnaces, boilers, and radiant heaters to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. They’re more energy efficient than electric heaters, and they’re ideal for warehouses and workspaces in more remote locations.

Water Heating

Running out of hot water at home is tough. But for businesses like hotels, restaurants, and gyms—it’s simply not an option. Propane-powered water heaters, whether tankless or traditional, provide an energy-efficient solution that delivers reliably hot water on demand while reducing costs overall.

Cooking & Food Service

Commercial Kitchens

Restaurants, catering businesses, and food service providers generally agree that propane offers more precise temperature control and instantaneous heat than natural gas. Whether you need it for ovens, grills, or ranges, propane helps professional chefs cook more efficiently. And for kitchens without access to dedicated natural gas lines, it’s a no-brainer.

Outdoor Cooking

While propane is great in any commercial kitchen, it really shines when cooking on the go, including catering businesses and food trucks. With tanks of various sizes, chefs can cook with consistent temperature control anywhere, anytime. For anyone who’s eaten at a brick and mortar restaurant with outdoor seating, you can also thank propane for powering outdoor warming stations (cozy, right?).

Power Generation & Backup

Generators

If you’ve ever dealt with power outages, you know how catastrophic they can be for businesses of any size. Luckily, propane generators provide a reliable backup power source, ensuring continued operations during outages. Unlike gasoline, propane doesn’t expire or degrade over time, which means that once you configure a propane-fueled generator, you won’t have to think about it until you really need it.

For businesses with warehouses or locations further off the grid, power-generation can be tricky. While it’s less common overall, propane can also serve as a primary energy source for companies operating in more remote locations.

Industrial and Manufacturing

Forklifts

Propane-powered forklifts are a staple in warehouses and manufacturing facilities. They offer lower fuel costs compared to gasoline, emit fewer emissions, and provide quick refueling, reducing downtime. Unlike electric forklifts (which are becoming more common), propane-fueled forklifts don’t take time to recharge, and they offer greater torque and power over sustained-periods of time.

Fleet Vehicles

Many businesses use propane autogas for fleet vehicles, including delivery trucks, buses, and vans. Propane reduces emissions and offers a more affordable fuel alternative to gasoline or diesel. In fact, research from New Mexico’s Clean Cities Coalition showed that propane autogas saved $.16 per mile and more than $43,000 in lifetime costs per vehicle among their fleet of buses. 

Welding & Cutting

While acetylene and oxygen are typically used to fusion weld, propane is commonly used for heating, cutting, brazing, and silver soldering. Propane is safe, stable, and much cheaper than oxygen+acetylene, making it perfect for cutting and heating applications.

Drying Applications

When it comes to drying clothes, electric-powered dryers work well-enough for most residential users. But for commercial applications, like hotels, textiles, and laundry services, propane offers faster drying and far cheaper operating costs over time. 

Agriculture

Crop Drying

In agriculture, farmers depend on grain-dryers to maintain crop quality and reduce harvest loss. Given their massive size and energy consumption, grain dryers are much more efficient to run off propane than other sources, and 75% of farmers surveyed in a study prefer propane for grain drying applications.

Heating Greenhouses

Propane heaters create optimal growing conditions in greenhouses, allowing farmers to extend growing seasons and protect crops from extreme weather. For most growers, rural locations make natural gas supply a challenge, but propane’s portable and flexible nature makes it ideal for those in need of a solution.

Livestock Heating

Maintaining warm environments in barns and livestock facilities is critical, especially in colder climates. Propane heaters ensure the well-being of animals and enhance worker productivity.

Hospitality & Tourism

Hotels & Resorts

Propane plays a key role in heating hotel rooms, pools, and spas. It also fuels laundry services and outdoor fire pits, improving guest experiences. The portable nature of propane makes it ideal for providing creature comforts to travelers seeking out remote locations.

Restaurants & Catering

From indoor kitchens to outdoor events, propane-powered cooking equipment allows restaurants and caterers to serve high-quality meals efficiently anywhere.

Construction

Temporary Heating

Construction projects operating in cold climates depend on propane heaters to keep work environments comfortable and prevent material damage from low temperatures. Because propane heating is so portable, it’s flexible enough to keep up with construction sites as they grow, or disconnect as jobs wrap up.

Equipment Fuel

Some construction equipment, such as generators and specialized machinery, can be powered by propane, offering a cleaner and cost-effective energy solution. For longer term storage, or for machinery that’s used less often, the nearly unlimited shelf life of propane is often preferable to gasoline or diesel.

Other Applications

Data Centers

Propane generators serve as a dependable backup power source for data centers, preventing downtime and ensuring uninterrupted operations.

Healthcare Facilities

Hospitals and clinics utilize propane for heating, water heating, and emergency backup power to maintain critical operations. These facilities need to provide heat, hot water, and power for many people—sometimes thousands—whether the electrical grid is running or not. 

Educational Institutions

Schools and universities use propane for heating and water heating. Some institutions even power buses with propane for an eco-friendly transportation alternative to get students and faculty to where they need to go.

Why Businesses Choose Propane

By now, you know that propane is versatile. But beyond that, what are the key differentiators that set it apart from other fuels? While there are many benefits, businesses across industries that opt for propane do so for several key advantages:

• Energy Efficiency: Propane burns cleanly and provides high energy output, reducing overall energy costs.

• Reliability: Propane supply remains consistent, making it an ideal fuel source for remote or off-grid locations.

• Environmental Benefits: Propane has lower emissions compared to gasoline and diesel, helping businesses meet sustainability goals.