Ski resorts lead the world in terms of businesses using renewable energy. Most have at least some of their energy supplied by renewals, often generated on site, and now a quarter of the world’s top 250 resorts claim to be 100% green powered. Some of these manage to generate all that power on site, often exporting excess generation to the grid. Whistler has its own hydro plant generating all the power it needs, several resorts in New England are 100% powered by giant wind turbines and now a huge solar array is being installed in the Pitztal Glacier in Austria’s Tirol region in order to become 100% green energy powered.
Austria’s highest ski area, with slopes reaching 3440m, will feature Europe’s highest photovoltaic station next summer at an altitude of 2800m. It should supply all the electricity needed for the area’s power requirements for lifts, restaurants and other needs. A test centre is being installed this winter.
The solar array, which will cost an estimated €2.5m to install, will feature 2500 modules with a gross collector area of over 400m² and will produce around 850,000 kWh/year – enough to match the centre’s power needs. Panels will be mounted on twin cables, allowing them to be placed vertically in times of heavy snowfall and to track the sun during the day. The power production from the panels at this altitude is 40% higher than in the valley.
The Pitztal Glacier has one of Europe’s longest ski seasons, from mid-September to mid-May, and it is also one of only two areas in the world that uses a unique snowmaking system from an Israeli company that can produce snow at positive temperatures. The centre uses it to make fresh snow on its glacier when it opens in late summer each year.
