{"id":15287,"date":"2023-01-30T14:54:12","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T14:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.empower-solar.com\/?p=15287"},"modified":"2023-01-30T14:56:43","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T14:56:43","slug":"the-debate-about-gas-and-induction-stoves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empower-solar.com\/en\/blog\/the-debate-about-gas-and-induction-stoves\/","title":{"rendered":"The Debate About Gas and Induction Stoves"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u201cThe government is coming for your gas stove! Not over my dead body\u201d is the common refrain we\u2019re hearing this week even from many of our solar clients that power everything – home, car, heating – with electricity, except their gas stove.<\/span><\/p>\n

It started in December when Richard Trumpka Jr., a member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, <\/span>addressed the growing scientific findings<\/span><\/a> that gas stoves pose a threat to human health. When asked whether gas stoves could be banned, <\/span>Trumpka said<\/span><\/a> \u201cany option is possible.\u201d Per the <\/span>New York State Scoping Plan<\/span><\/a>, Governor Hochul has proposed a ban on gas connections for new small buildings in 2025 and large buildings in 2028, but this would not require replacing existing gas stoves. NYC has already passed a <\/span>bill<\/span><\/a> requiring all new buildings to be all-electric, starting at the end of this year for low-rise buildings and in 2027 for high-rises.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s EmPower\u2019s perspective:\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

EmPower Solar\u2019s role is to help educate and empower customers to save money and electrify their lives with solar.<\/span><\/p>\n

Using solar to power your home, car, and heating system is an amazing, state of the art experience. Electric induction stoves are fun and wonderful to cook with. EmPower COO Greg Sachs lived in an off-grid solar home with an induction stove that we installed the energy systems on in 2005 for the <\/span>solar decathlon house<\/span><\/a> located at the US Merchant Marine Academy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Regarding how to inspire people to switch to solar and electric house loads, using laws and building codes are important avenues to consider that can dramatically improve the quality of the air we breathe inside and outside the home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Are gas stoves unsafe?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The short answer is yes. Gas stoves release alarming amounts of air pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), formaldehyde (CH2O), and methane (CH4) when they\u2019re ignited and even when they\u2019re turned off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Methane is an incredibly potent and flammable greenhouse gas, causing <\/span>about 30% of global warming since the pre-Industrial Revolution era.<\/span><\/a> While methane doesn’t stick around in the atmosphere as long as CO2, it works quicker and more powerfully; in its first 20 years methane is over 80 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Over this 20-year timeframe, researchers found that annual methane emissions from gas stoves in the U.S. alone have a climate impact <\/span>comparable to CO2 emissions from half a million cars.<\/span><\/a> Notably, over 75% of methane emissions occur when your gas stove is off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only do gas stoves release greenhouse gasses that accelerate global warming, they also emit air pollutants that trigger serious respiratory illness. The EPA determined that long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is linked to respiratory illnesses such as asthma, especially among children. A <\/span>recent study<\/span><\/a> shows that pollution from gas stoves contribute to 12.7% of childhood asthma in the U.S., and scientists found that the pollutants from gas stoves have the same risk for children as secondhand smoke exposure. In homes without proper ventilation, the indoor level of NO2 could surpass the EPA\u2019s outdoor standard within minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Besides the indoor air pollutants released and potential gas leaks, the open flame produced by gas stoves poses a safety risk for young children and adults alike.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gas stove alternatives<\/span><\/h2>\n

Electric stoves<\/span><\/h3>\n

Many people are familiar with the traditional resistance electric stove, often with metal coil burners. However, electric stove technology has come a long way in recent years, and the three main types are coil-top, glass-top (also called radiant), and induction. We\u2019ll cover induction in more detail in the next section.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coil-top and radiant stoves are similar in that they both operate on independent circuits, with electricity running through the circuit to generate heat in the coil. The primary difference is that the coil is exposed in coil-top stoves, while the coil is hidden under the glass or ceramic surface of radiant stoves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Induction stoves<\/span><\/h3>\n

Swiftly gaining popularity are induction stoves, which are more efficient and precise than conventional electric stovetops. Induction stoves are technically a type of electric stove, but they operate differently. Induction stovetops use electricity to generate an electromagnetic field below the glass or ceramic cooktop surface, which transfers a current directly to the cookware, causing it to heat up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Induction stoves are already a prominent fixture in European and Asian households, and eminent chefs like Eric Ripert and Justin Lee actually prefer induction over gas because of its precision.<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefits of induction stoves:<\/span><\/p>\n