Repurposed Ovens for Space Heating Following Global Catastrophic Infrastructure Loss: Methods and Efficiency Calculations

Global catastrophic infrastructure loss (GCIL) would disrupt energy supply networks, prohibiting heating in houses reliant on electricity or piped natural gas. In such situations, buildings in cold climates would require alternative heating methods, as space heating is critical to survival. This work assesses the viability of converting household appliances to wood-burning stoves and the scalability of such conversions in the event of a catastrophe. A standard residential electrical oven was converted to a wood-burning stove, using tools and materials likely to be readily available following GCIL, and tested by burning a total of 9.1 kg of pine wood and kindling. The conversion was successful, with an average useful heat output of 2.6 kW, showing the viability of ovens as wood-burning stoves for space heating. It is expected that such conversions could be completed in under one day, given sufficient availability of tools, materials, and labour. Global supplies of ovens, tools, materials, and fuel are expected to be sufficient for widespread conversion of ovens to wood-burning stoves, assuming international collaboration. However, international collaboration may be limited following GCIL, so countries should develop individual response plans accounting for this limitation, and knowledge should be disseminated ahead of time, or backup communication systems put in place.