This is part of a series on electrification in New Mexico.
Induction Cooking
Starting with the last step in my electrification journey, I did not want to pay for a gas connection just to cook. But I loved my gas stove which I installed in 2009 replacing an electric resistance coil stove. I started researching and found there are induction stoves and cooktops which are more efficient and better performing than gas stoves. According to Consumer Reports induction cooktops and ranges outperformed all others in their tests.
76% of the emissions from gas stoves comes when they are turned off according to a Stanford study of 53 homes. Emissions from those using a pilot light are higher but the age of the stove does not matter. Kids are 42% more likely to develop asthma in homes with gas. Because gas stoves directly expose us to toxic chemicals in our homes the health effects are the most acute of fossil fuel use in our homes. For this reason replacing a gas stove or cooktop is a good first step and there are options that are not expensive to achieve this.
Induction stoves use electromagnetic fields to heat the cookware directly. This does require cookware that is compatible although just about any cookware now sold will work. Use a magnet to check your existing cookware. Because the cookware is heated directly, 80 to 90% of the energy is used for cooking compared to about 30 to 35% for a gas stove. This also means induction stoves do not heat up the kitchen as much as gas stoves. Induction stoves also do not get hot except from contact with the pan and turn off if there is no pan so they are safer than gas stoves. They also do not have fire or explosion risks like gas stoves.
Gas stoves are known for quick response and precise control. Induction stoves generally will boil water twice as fast as gas stoves and cooking times are 20 - 30% less. They also can offer more precise control than gas stoves. Operating costs vary with the cost of electricity versus natural gas but in New Mexico the cost to operate an induction stove is about 33% less than a gas stove. They also are easier to clean since they have less baked on food.
There are 240 volt and 120 volt induction cooktops with the latter usually being portable. The portable cooktops often have more features than the built-in cooktops. If you cannot afford to run a 240 volt circuit or you are a renter the 120 volt portable cooktops are surprisingly good. 120 volts with a 15 amp circuit breaker is 1800 watts so most of the 120 volt cooktops are designed for that wattage. 1800 watts is more than enough to be more powerful than a gas burner but with more than one element they have different strategies for sharing power between the elements. Costs are less than $80 for one element and less than $200 for two element portable cooktops. If upgrading to a 240 volt outlet is prohibitive then there is an option to use a standard 120 volt plug with a stove that includes a battery to provide the additional power. This is a more expensive option but avoids electrical upgrades.
Induction cooktops can use the traditional power levels for gas stoves but since they can measure the temperature of the pan resting on the cooktop some use this for temperature settings. This brings the pan up to that temperature and holds it there for more precise cooking than can be achieved by gas cooktops. Some also are programmable allowing the temperature to be adjusted or turned off at a preset time. The Duxtop portable induction cooktops can be used with both power and temperature settings. NuWave only has temperature settings but with different top wattages and each has three wattage settings allowing them to be used with battery power stations with different power outputs or on home circuits that may have other things on that circuit.
It often is claimed that induction cooktops are more expensive than gas cooktops but my research shows that for comparable features the prices are not that different. But induction cooktops and ranges can have additional features and higher price points than gas or electric resistance coil cooktops. There are even induction cooktops that are invisible that can be installed under a countertop with hidden elements.
Induction is not as good for roasting green chilies so do not expect it to replace the propane found at roadside stands. But for most things induction can do a lot more than propane or gas.
Heat Pump Clothes Dryers
The traditional gas or electric clothes dryer heats up air and passes it over clothes and then vents outside. One cycle can often empty a house completely of the air requiring the heating and air conditioning system to compensate. For modern air tight homes the use of vented condensing clothes dryers is counter productive at best and can defeat the effort to make the house air tight. Heat pump clothes dryers heat up air and passes the warm air over the clothes and then it passes the warm air over the other side of the heat pump cooling the air and condensing the water out. Thus they do not need to be vented. They also can be found in both 120 volt and 240 volt models.
Heat pump clothes dryers are significantly more energy efficient than condensing clothes dryers. A more detailed comparison for the UK shows the increase in efficiency for different types of loads. This does not take into consideration the difference in heating or cooling the replacement air that is required by vented clothes dryers. Heat pump clothes dryers last longer and they are much easier on your clothes. They are a better long term investment.
Since heat pump clothes dryers do not need to be vented and some can operate on 120 volts they can more easily be installed anywhere in a house. No longer does the dryer need to be installed on an outside wall. This flexibility means that it is possible to install them in apartments or other places where vented dryers are not practical.
The first heat pump clothes dryers available in the United States were smaller sizes typical of Europe where these have been available for some time. These tended to be 120 volt models. There are more sizes and models available with more on the way. The costs also should be coming down as they become more popular. For new homes the additional cost of a heat pump clothes dryer is offset by the reduced installation cost of a 240 volt circuit and venting to the outside.
The clothes coming out of a heat pump clothes dryer may not feel as dry as a vented clothes dryer but simply shaking the clothes out will get them just as dry. Since they operate at a lower temperature than vented clothes dryers they take longer to dry clothes. Most also require emptying the condensed water between loads. But these are easily outweighed by the benefits of a heat pump clothes dryer.