WE ACT Out of Gas, in With Justice
UPDATED: 12/13/2023
Project Name: WE ACT Out of Gas, in With Justice
Project Leader(s): WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Partner(s): New York City Housing Authority, Association for Energy Affordability, Berkeley Air Monitoring Group, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and RMI
Stage of Completion: Completed
Construction Type: Existing building
Building Type: One 96-unit building, built around the 1970s, Multi-family
Total Number of Units Targeted: 20
10 households were control households, and didn’t receive induction stoves until the end
10 were intervention households that received induction stoves at the beginning
Total Number of Units Completed: 19
One participant had a pacemaker, which was a potential problem for use with induction stoves, so she did not receive an induction stove out of an abundance of caution. (There are a number of factors that can lead to potential issues with induction stoves and pacemakers, so to be extra cautious, they avoided this potential interaction)
Tenant Structure: Renter-occupied
Target Audience: Urban public housing, low-income residents, residents of color, residents that live in multi-family dwellings
Full/Partial Electrification: Partial
Existing Heating Fuel Type:
Heating fuel: oil
Cooking fuel: natural gas
End Uses Electrified: Cooking appliances
Specific electric appliances installed:
Electric induction ranges (Frigidaire Gallery GCRI3058AF 30” Freestand Induction Range with Air Fry feature)
Also received a new 12-piece induction-ready pot and pan kit (12-Piece MULTICLAD PRO TRI-PLY Stainless Cookware Set from Cuisinart)
Total Project Funding: $1M (approximately half the budget was reserved for air monitoring, cooking lessons, and analysis)
Amount or % of Project Cost Covered per unit:
100% including additional compensation ($500) for participation
Source of Funding:
Philanthropic
Motivation for electrification: The purpose of the pilot was to study the feasibility and benefits of electrification with the New York City Housing Authority by comparing improvements to air quality through electrification. The goal was to reduce harmful air pollution that results from the use of gas stoves indoors.
Additional Measures Implemented: Electrical panel upgrades, rewiring work for new surface mounted double pole 40 amp breaker installed in or near the kitchen and an upgraded 209-220 volt outlet for the induction stove
Workforce Development/Green Jobs Component: Nothing explicit; AEA handled contractor work. Unsure if AEA had an explicit workforce requirement.
Next steps: NYCHA Induction Stove Challenge Fall 2023
Source: Project report