Event Description

USGBC Central PA is hosting a webinar on induction cooking and the Cooking in Healthy Electrified Commercial Kitchens Rebate Program with speakers Chef Chris Galarza and Heidi Kunsch. Wednesday February 22nd, 2023, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm via Zoom.

Did you know food service is one of the highest energy users per square foot in the commercial sector? learn about sustainable commercial kitchens, as well as the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Check Education + Rebate Pilot Program.

Chef Chris Galarza of Forward Dining Solutions LLC will cover the topic of sustainable food service, looking particularly at how all-electric kitchens, specifically induction cooking equipment, can transform commercial food service. High-performance electric kitchens save a considerable amount of energy, compared to traditional gas kitchens. Eliminating combustion from the commercial kitchen also dramatically improves thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and production. The course will delve into these topics and provide the audience with real-world examples. Heidi Kunsch of the PA Department of Environmental Protection will share information about their new learning and funding opportunity.

Check Rebate Program:

Rebate of up to $5,000 are available for a number of efficiency or electrification improvements in commercial kitchens:

-Energy Star certified cooking equipment (combustion-free only)

-Induction cooking equipment

-Demand control kitchen ventilation system

-Electrical infrastructure upgrades to accommodate additional load

-Funding is available on first come, first-serve basis with an environmental justice focus.

Learning Objectives:

-Participant will become familiar with the Padep’s check rebate and education program for nonprofits, K-12 schools, and higher education institutions in Pennsylvania

-Participant will understand why electrification is an important step towards decarbonization

-Participant will understand how and why electric cooking equipment is more efficient than natural gas equipment

-Participant will learn how removing combustion from a kitchen improves indoor environmental quality

-Participants become familiar with a range of all-electric food service strategies, and their implications on energy performance and carbon emissions

Topics to be discussed:

- Timeline of events from Berkeley’s gas ban to now

- Introduction to induction cooking

- Gas vs induction comparisons

- Health considerations

- Myth Busting induction cooking