page_title: Liquefied petroleum gas
section_title: Rural heating
hierarchical_section_title: Liquefied petroleum gas / Uses / Rural heating
caption_attribution_description: English: Gas cilinder
context_page_description: Liquefied petroleum gas or liquid petroleum gas, is a flammable mixture of hydrocarbon gases used as fuel in heating appliances, cooking equipment, and vehicles.
  It is increasingly used as an aerosol propellant and a refrigerant, replacing chlorofluorocarbons in an effort to reduce damage to the ozone layer. When specifically used as a vehicle fuel it is often referred to as autogas.
  Varieties of LPG bought and sold include mixes that are mostly propane, mostly butane, and, most commonly, mixes including both propane and butane. In the northern hemisphere winter, the mixes contain more propane, while in summer, they contain more butane. In the United States, mainly two grades of LPG are sold: commercial propane and HD-5. These specifications are published by the Gas Processors Association and the American Society of Testing and Materials. Propane/butane blends are also listed in these specifications.
  Propylene, butylenes and various other hydrocarbons are usually also present in small concentrations such as C2H6, CH4 and C3H8 Butane. HD-5 limits the amount of propylene that can be placed in LPG to 5% and is utilized as an autogas specification.
context_section_description: Predominantly in Europe and rural parts of many countries, LPG can provide an alternative to electric heating, heating oil, or kerosene. LPG is most often used in areas that do not have direct access to piped natural gas.
  LPG can be used as a power source for combined heat and power technologies (CHP). CHP is the process of generating both electrical power and useful heat from a single fuel source. This technology has allowed LPG to be used not just as fuel for heating and cooking, but also for decentralized generation of electricity.
  LPG can be stored in a variety of manners. LPG, as with other fossil fuels, can be combined with renewable power sources to provide greater reliability while still achieving some reduction in CO₂ emissions. However, as opposed to wind and solar renewable energy sources, LPG can be used as a standalone energy source without the prohibitive expense of electrical energy storage. In many climates renewable sources such as solar and wind power would still require the construction, installation and maintenance of reliable baseload power sources such as LPG fueled generation to provide electrical power during the entire year. 100% wind/solar is possible, the caveat being that even in 2018 the expense of the additional generation capacity necessary to charge batteries, plus the cost of battery electrical storage, still makes this option economically feasible in only a minority of situations.
caption: LPG Cylinders in India
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