120V Induction Stoves with Battery Back-Up

The project scope is to replace propane fueled stoves in the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, with 120V induction stoves that have an internal battery. The results of the project will include providing the IOUs with electrical operational data, customer testimonials, and program development recommendations. This project will specifically study the stove’s energy use, load shifting capabilities, cost, resilience, and user experience. The energy use and cost of the stove will be compared and benchmarked to a propane stove. The stove (oven + cooktop) that will be utilized for this project is called “Charlie” by its manufacturer Channing Street Copper Company. There is no competing stove on the market that incorporates both a cooktop, oven and battery all powered by 120 volts, making it the only candidate to replace existing gas stoves at the time of this study.  Utilizing an 120V induction stove with an internal battery can provide resilience during power outages and can dramatically change the impact of electric cooking on the electric grid during the evening peak, reducing the potential for grid impact from 9600W down to 1800W—an 81% reduction of potential peak. A battery integrated stove can also provide boosted power to cooking, while staying on a smaller circuit so there is no change in provided service compared to a typical 240V electric stove. In addition, because 120V appliances do not need new wiring of 240V circuits (or potential electrical panel or service upgrades), they can save electrification retrofit costs, which can be essential in hard-to-reach and disadvantaged communities. To ensure the benefits of this project were delivered to those most in need, the project team partnered with Lisa Sundberg, who is an active Tribal member of Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, and who has held numerous other leadership roles in the community. The project aims to replace propane stoves in 36 tribal households, focusing on homes of tribal members with asthma or cardiopulmonary disease, which is aggravated by propane’s invisible “smoke,” and households that are subject to frequent multi-day power outages from winter storms and summer Public Safety Power Shutoffs. Ms. Sundberg worked on behalf of the Tribal Council to discuss with fellow tribal members their affirmative interest in replacing their propane stoves with induction and secured the attached letter of support from the Rancheria's Tribal Council. All homes that will be in the study are by definition “Hard-to-reach" because they are geographically rural, and all homes in the study will qualify as Disadvantaged Communities because they will be located on Tribal Land.