Monday, May 31, 2010

NSAA Awards Energy Efficient Snow-Making Machines


Greenwood, Maine’s Mount Abrams Ski Area and Colorado’s Crested Butte were each awarded 10 high-efficiency snowmaking machines designed by Massachusetts-based Snow Economics/HKD Snowmakers as part of a grant from the National Ski Area Association. Other mountains that won grants include Alta, Utah; Grand Targhee, Wyo.; and Stevens Pass, Wash. The grants were part of the association’s effort to promote strategies to make the ski industry use less energy and be more environmentally friendly.
“We’re taking a look at some of the areas where skiing can evolve and become a greener sport,” said Kevin Rosenberg, marketing and sales director for Mount Abram. “Snowmaking is big because we are creating our own weather, and that doesn’t happen without a significant amount of energy.”
Mount Abram runs 100 snowmaking guns, using about 200 gallons of water per second. The new machines, in ideal conditions, can make twice as much snow as typical snowmaking apparatus, for significant energy savings, Rosenberg said.”

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