You’ve seen the headlines. Cities like New York are mandating that no gas appliances of any kind can be used in new construction. Ithaca, N.Y., is planning to go a step further and retrofit older buildings to eliminate gas appliances. Up to this point, there have been no outright bans on commercial gas ovens or ranges, but…
Will you have to give up your gas ovens and stovetops?
Why Is This An Issue?
The alarming rate of climate warming has forced a rethink about how we contribute to it. A rush to modernize our electric infrastructure to use more renewable energy sources has been coupled with a critical look at carbon emissions from ordinary devices like gas appliances. It may not seem that natural gas shouldn’t be a problem, but studies show that the carbon footprint for those devices is significant, especially compared to modern electric versions.
So far, the trend toward electric technologies has been led by large corporations, universities, and healthcare organizations whose mission might include environmental sustainability. Gas cooking, however, still dominates commercial kitchens in the United States.
Let’s dig a bit deeper into how the trend toward electrification might impact your commercial kitchen.
Would an Electric Kitchen be That Much Better?
Modern induction burners are super efficient. Unlike the old electric coil ranges, today’s induction burners heat up immediately, and there is also absolutely no release of natural gas.
According to Christopher Galarza, founder of Forward Dining Solutions, a consultancy focusing exclusively on developing and implementing commercial electric kitchens. “I’ve done demos where I take the pan out of the freezer, put cold vegetables on top, and within seconds we’re at a full saute,” he says. Galarza was skeptical of the technology when first tasked with running an all-electric kitchen at Pennsylvania’s Chatham University in 2016. After trying induction cooking, “I was blown away,” he said, impressed by the cooking efficiency, the ease of cleaning induction cooktops and the reduction in radiant heat that resulted in a cooler facility requiring less air conditioning—all factors that help offset electricity’s more expensive price tag. ***
How Much Better?
We have to consider how electricity is produced in a given region. In California, “Total renewable energy reached 33.6 percent in 2021, up 3.5 percent from 2020 levels.” *
Contrast that from a state that derives much of its energy from coal: “Coal still powers the vast majority of the electricity produced in Kentucky, a longtime coal mining state. Last year, coal was the source of nearly 80 percent of state generation…” ** In previous years, it averaged closer to 90%.
The bottom line is that if you have a deli shop in California, then move it to Kentucky; you will be responsible for releasing a whole lot more carbon into the atmosphere. The advantage of going all electric in Kentucky might be less compelling… at least for now.
What’s the Bottom Line?
In the end, you won’t be forced to move to electric appliances anytime soon, but because these appliances are expensive and can have a long lifetime, it is worth strongly considering if purchasing new equipment. Certain parts of the country are already making it a part of future planning, so why not you?
If electrifying your kitchen just isn’t practical at this time, you can do other things to reduce your carbon footprint. Moving from an older low-efficiency gas appliance to a modern high-efficiency appliance can reduce carbon in half. Local government incentives can help offset the purchase of electric devices as well as solar panels.
Commercial kitchens will likely look quite different in ten years than they do today, and electrification will be the biggest change for sure.
* California Energy Commission
** NYTimes
*** www.fermag.com
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