The high cost of energy and concerns with global warming make any kind of reduction in operating costs and increases in efficiency good news to the money guys. And snowgun manufacturers continue to refine their equipment to boost efficiency. But if you’re they guy whose responsibility is to make snow, Wayne Ragland of SMI sums up the situation precisely: “When you turn on your snowmaking system, the most important thing is making the most snow you can.”

Several factors contribute to that goal. Being able to turn on your system in as few steps as possible is one. Hence the heightened interest in automatic systems. It speeds setup time when conditions reach optimum, and it saves labor. Leaving labor costs aside for the money guys, good help is becoming increasingly hard to find at any price. In addition, making snow involves young men and women working at night with high-pressure water, high-voltage electricity, in an often-unfamiliar mountain environment with transportation challenges. Minimizing this type of labor also minimizes risk. This can bring insurance costs into play, as premiums are based on the number of employees in the riskiest positions. Automation is not just about the snow.

To hold costs down, selective automation is an option, says Jim Horton of Johnson Controls. “If you want to automate 25 percent of your trails, say, figure out how to phase it in five percent at a time. Start with the ‘money run,’ which has to have the best conditions. Watch skier demand, and respond to the reaction. It can become a customer-driven plan.”

The increase in marginal conditions has placed new emphasis on how well certain guns work then, or how well they work over a range of conditions. Resorts need the resources to make as much snow as conditions permit.

Another factor is the durability and maintenance requirements of the guns. For fan guns, this relates to the number of nozzles. A gun with 30 nozzles is going to require less maintenance time than one with hundreds.

For fan guns electrical components are a factor as well. Are they familiar to the technicians and easy to work on and replace? How sturdy are your carriage guns? How well will your gun survive a tumble or three? Stuff happens.

And finally: does the simplicity, durability and economy of low-e air/ water guns trump the expense yet greater product output of fans?

There are no blanket answers here. The parameters vary greatly from one resort to another, even from one part of the mountain to another. That’s why wise managers have as many resources as they can get. According to Chuck English, mountain ops director at Deer Valley, the area has installed both air/water hydrants and electrical hookups at bottom and top terminals of its recent lift additions, so that they can use either fans or air/water guns. The goal is to utilize the available water in the best possible way.

In the end, output matters. From automated systems to specific guns, here’s a look at the state of the art, as practiced by key suppliers.


ARECO/SNOWNET GROUP
Areco fan guns run contrary to those from some other suppliers. They have up to 300 nozzles and 20 nucleators to produce a finer, more powdery snow. True, the finer spray is more prone to evaporation during cooling, and there’s maintenance of all those nozzles. That is the tradeoff for what is arguably higher quality snow. Plus, Areco guns can operate at up to 30º F, can be manual or automatic, and either sled- or tower-mounted.

The Supersnow is Areco’s largest gun, with a 20 hp fan; it’s being updated with a new chassis that has a built-in lifting system and 350-degree swivel capability. The updated energy-efficient Standard Economy has been in production, in some form, since 1985. Lightweight, mobile Areco Jr. uses the same nozzle configuration as Supersnow, but with an aluminum drum and a smaller overall package. It suits areas with 30-amp service or less, and areas with power usage limits (same is true for Standard Economy). It’s also good for tight places where you don’t need more throw. Info: (570) 465-7661, www.arecosnow.com.

HEDCO
The venerable Hedco company, now a division of the Dewey Electronics Corporation of New Jersey, features the extendable wheeled carriage Snow Cub-NT and the pole mounted Snowcab-NT. The carriage gun has a throw from 40 to 130 feet; the tower, up to 200 feet. Both guns feature 30 hp fan motors. New nozzle designs and air line cooler sys­tem enable the guns to accommodate both marginal and cold temperatures. Nozzles are switched according to temperatures. Info: (201) 337-4700, Ext. 123; www.hedco.com.

JOHNSON CONTROLS SNOW
Johnson Controls takes a big-picture approach to design entire systems, from pump house to the slope. “The bottom line: Using less energy, losing less water, making more snow per kilowatt. That’s the new efficiency standard,” says York division head Jim Horton. Johnson Controls typically does one of two types of installations: expansion onto a new trail, or replacement of an old section of a system. Its guns suit manual systems as well.

Johnson’s new J10 fan gun is designed for energy efficiency without sacrificing production. It uses just15 kW total, vs. 30 kW for some other guns. To show its effectiveness, “Our goal is to produce 100 to 125 guns this year, and place 10 to 15 per area, into the mix with existing customers,” Horton says. “We have 75 sold already.”

Existing tower guns include the Waterstick, an airless model for colder startup temperatures, that offers low purchase, installation and labor costs. The Borax low-e air/water internal mix tower has wet bulb start temperature of 28º+ for the 36-foot tower, and can be manual or automatic. Rubis uses an ultra low air-water ratio—as low as .1:1 with multi-flow SR10 Cold head. Info: 1-888-275-0242, www.johnsoncontrols.com/snow.

LARCHMONT
The M-1, a short, light low-e gun, can be pedestal or sled-mounted. It uses only 60 cfm, and will convert 15 to 130 gpm to snow, depending on water pressure and climatic conditions. The M-1 is very quiet, too, a good snowmaker to use near hotels and condominiums; it’s easy to move between locations as well. Its inverted head design does not accumulate snow when snow blows back on it.

Larchmont’s T-3 three-stage tower helps snowmaking crews make the most snow and control snow quality. The T-3 will convert 200 gpm into snow and operate airless at 7º to 12º F. In marginal conditions, the T-3 uses only 60 cfm air, and will convert 40 to 60 gpm into snow.

“When you need to make a high volume . . . you might have our Z1 air/water gun as well,” says Joseph Tropeano, sales engineer. The Z1 is a higher capacity ground air/water gun. Info: (978) 250-1260, www.larchmontengineering.com.

LENKO
Lenko, too, operates with a focus on energy and the environment in its R & D, as well as reduction of labor costs. For example, Lenko fan guns now come equipped with oil-free compressors as standard equipment; these reduce maintenance costs and help protect the environment.

Lenko’s latest stick gun, Orion, can make snow in temperatures as high as 28° F wet bulb, and still provide good economy of production. Equipped with a compressor, it can be implemented into systems using fan gun connections. The Orion is also available for use with central air with high efficiency/low energy design of 18 cfm at 100 psi and is available in both automatic and manual versions. It suits narrow, high prioritized, and steep slopes.

The LS series features single and multi-stage towers in various lengths and configurations to suit a wide variety of applications. Multi-stage towers eliminate the hassle of changing nozzles. Info: 1-888-965-3656, www.lenko­snow.com.

RATNIK
At Ratnik, research and development efforts in low-e snowmaking have led to a new patent-pending nozzle design that uses half the amount of compressed air as previous models. The interchangeable flanged component snow gun system allows quick adjustment to meet changing weather conditions.

Ratnik’s production king, the Sky Giant IV, can operate at warmer temperatures. It uses less compressed air and thus offers better air/water ratios. Cross-wind tolerance is dramatically improved, as its directional throw is stronger. A new nucleation design is less sensitive to dirty water and compressed air. Sky Giant IV is compatible with automatic and line flooded systems, but requires high-capacity hydrants and hoses. Info: (585) 924-9111, www.ratnik.com.

SMI
SMI offers a range of snowmaking solutions. In addition to its widely popular line of Wizzard and Polecat fan guns and Viking air/water towers, SMI has two new products: the Kid Polecat, a smaller super-quiet gun, and the Carriage Lift Tower, a hybrid fan gun that can be towed like any carriage and then raised up to 20 feet on an integrated tower.

When running the Kid Polecat, according to SMI, “Your customers won’t even know when it’s running on the slopes, but they’ll get to experience the great results!” Of the Carriage Lift tower SMI says, “Imagine a single piece of equipment that delivers the enhanced productivity of a tower, with the outstanding flexibility of a carriage mount!” Info: 1-800-248-6600, www.snowmakers.com.

SNOW ECONOMICS
“We’re trying to develop technology aimed at higher temperature ranges; that’s been a focus for several years,” says president Charles Santry. The company’s HKD low-e tower guns combine energy efficiency, high production, relatively low purchase and installation cost, and the option of relatively inexpensive automation. And as Snow Economics develops ever more efficient head designs, these will be compatible with current towers, Santry says.

HKD multi-valve towers, such as the SV10, are a good option for high-priority locations where maximum productivity under all temperatures are essential. Wet bulb startup is 28º. An onboard compressor is optional. M-series guns have a broad deposition pattern suited for terrain parks and other high-volume situations, and have 26º wet bulb startup. More economical though less adjustable single-valve towers, such as the LV4400, can suit a range of terrain needs.

The HKD express automation system allows snowmakers to charge a line of guns all at once. Such line flooding can be done manually or remotely via computer. Santry points out that, especially for primary runs that get the most attention, HKD express can cut labor and energy costs over the long run and allow resorts to take advantage of ever-smaller snowmaking windows. Info: (508) 655-3232; www.hkdsnowmakers.com.

TECHNOALPIN
TechnoAlpin specializes in planning and installation of complete snowmaking systems, but provides guns for manual systems as well. And though it is known for its fan guns, about half its annual sales worldwide are low-e towers.

The Automatic TechnoAlpin Snowmaking System maximizes production and water flow thanks to 12 valve steps. It can upgrade existing systems without infrastructure changes. ROI, says CEO Geir Vik, is three to four years.

The M18 fan has 18 water nozzles with 6 nucleators, and a new fan that’s 20 percent more efficient; it operates to 29º F wet-bulb, even with 50º water. Both it and the compact M12 can be used in automatic or manual systems, and both use long-life ceramic Quadrijet nozzles and low-maintenance, environmentally sound oil-free compressors.

The A 30 and A 9 also sport ceramic nozzles. The A 30 has more power, best quality snow at marginal temperatures, longer throw, wider angle of distribution than the A9, and reduced sensitivity to side winds. Towers can be supplied fully automatic for network configuration or with standalone LCD control unit. Info: (435) 649-6610, www.technoalpin.com.

TOPGUN
TopGun, with single or five-stage water adjustment and its Nucleation Nozzle, provides high efficiency with both air and water for manual systems. The company will also make fan guns this year, using much of the same technology found in the tower guns.

The TopGun fan will have a smaller fan motor than most; it runs a little less air, says owner and founder Troy Jervas, and the design doesn’t need heat to keep nucleators and nozzles from freezing. Manufacturing will begin in the fall.

TopGun’s five-stage valve, which can be added to any of its towers, makes it possible to produce more snow at higher temps, Jervas says, as multiple steps create a smoother production curve. The dispersion pattern is directional, to combat wind conditions. The single-stage Park Dream comes in towers from 15 to 30 feet, intended for high-production zones such as terrain parks. Lightweight (25 pounds) The Pipe Dream single-stage guns are lightweight (25 pounds) and use little air (50, 75 or 100 cfm). Info: (413) 441-3783; www.topgunsnowguns.com.

TURBOCRISTAL
Turbocristal has launched a new lighter fan machine completely built in aluminum, the Supercool Light. “We have introduced major changes in our gun design, so now they use lower energy with better air and water flow,” says Jason Sawin, western sales representative. The new gun complements the SuperCrystal fan machines.

The Sauron tower is a quiet, low-consumption air/water snowmaking machine with external mixing. Connected to an air network, or using its own low air consumption compressor (25 cfm), the Sauron can work at high or low water pressure. The V layout of the nozzles on a single head optimizes snow production; maximum water flow is 110 gpm. It is easily adaptable to both old and new systems. The variable water flow is controlled by two valves at the tower base, enabling easy and low-cost automation. Info: (418) 822-4077; www.turbocristal.com.

An End to Marginal Temperatures?
IDE, an Israeli company, introduced its All Weather Snowmaker at the NSAA show. Its claim: make snow at any ambient temperature, not just sub-freezing ones. Using a vacuum cooling process that has been used for decades to cool underground mines, the system produces a spring-type snow with its Vacuum Ice Maker technology. A single unit produces up to 67,000 cubic feet of snow per day.

IDE is installing two systems on European glaciers, where gondola base terminals once at glacier’s end are now several hundred feet from year-round snow. IDE makes it easier to bring snow down to the terminal than to move the terminal up to the snowline.

IDE hopes that U.S. resorts will use all-temperature snowmakers to ensure early-season terrain park and halfpipe openings or to provide the surface for special events in fall or spring. IDE reps assured SAM that the ROI comes in a few years, not several. Info: 011 972 98 92 9830; www.ide-tech.com.