WINTERGREEN, VIRGINIA
As part of Wintergreen’s $12 million investment in facilities and infrastructure over the next 16 months, the area is investing $5.8 million in a 5-million-gallon raw water storage tank and pumping station.

Along with 5 million gallons of on-mountain water storage, the new pump house will double production capacity from 4,000 GPM to 8,000 GPM. This will provide increased production in all temperatures. The project includes water cooling and a fully-automated pumping control system. All motors run on variable frequency drives. The cooling system will provide in-line water cooling as well as automatic recirculating cooling to lower the temperature of the tank when the area is not making snow.

Approximately 4,000 linear feet of 16-inch snowmaking pipeline has been added and will provide a huge boost in flow across the mountain as well as an increase in overall system water pressure. An additional 40 MyNeige Low E Rubis guns were also installed, providing both increased production and more energy-efficient snowmaking. As well, 9 new TechnoAlpin fan guns increase snow production in critical areas on the mountain.

In order to be up and running for the 2012-13 season, Wintergreen compressed the project into four months, from an original construction schedule of 18 months. Construction went on seven days a week and, at times, 24 hours a day to hit the December 15 completion date.


MOUNTAIN HIGH, CALIFORNIA
Committed to being Southern California’s first resort to open for the past 15 years, Mountain High took several steps to boost snowmaking capacity this year.

The area invested approximately $250,000 to purchase and install two SMI (one Pole Cat, one Puma) and three TechnoAlpin T-40 guns, along with nine plug-and-play power stations on the slopes for them.

Over the past decade, Mountain High has consistently added five or so fan guns to its arsenal annually, creating a primary and secondary system on the mountain based on time of year, temperature and coverage. The primary system of air/water guns allows the area to open quickly, and the secondary system of fan guns allows the resort to maintain the runs after opening. Using both systems simultaneously has enabled the resort to open more terrain more quickly than years past.

To increase efficiency, the resort uses both systems at optimal times and has synchronized their water and air systems. As well, the resort continues to retrofit older air/water guns to use up to 40 percent less air to produce the same amount of snow. With all the changes, the area plans to reduce its diesel consumption by as much as 25 percent.

Additionally, the area has spent more than $1 million on four new air compressor units that run off public utilities, which allows the resort to lower its dependence on diesel-driven compressors. The new compressors have increased air production by as much as 30 percent.

Replacing older air/water guns has become the biggest challenge for the resort. The Forest Service now requires a multiple-step process including proposals, funding collection agreements and re-evaluating the previously approved area for the new gun.


SUNDAY RIVER, MAINE
Sunday River’s $1 million investment in snowmaking this summer paid for 300 new HKD SV10 snow guns that will boost snow production on 15 of the mountain’s popular trails. Sunday River was able to commit this amount thanks in part to a $300,000 grant from Efficiency Maine.

The energy-efficient guns use up to 90 percent less compressed air and effectively lower energy costs. Although the pumping capacity has not increased, the resort is able to pump more total gallons of water year-over-year because of savings from the reduction in energy consumption. The resort is able to reallocate the funds saved and spend them on pumping more water (and producing more snow).

Not that the job was easy: Since the terrain where the guns were installed is 85 percent ledge and 15 percent soil/ledge mix, much of the latter required drilling, digging, or both, which created several obstacles during installation.

The resort has already seen a difference in snow production and has been able to maintain maximum water output during marginal snowmaking temperatures. In the past few years, the area achieved maximum output 40 to 50 percent of the time; this has risen to 75 to 85 percent. It still takes the same amount of time to open trails, but Sunday River can open more trails during a given time frame.


GUNSTOCK, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Gunstock resort recently invested $90,000 in a new air-cooled compressed air after-cooling system to upgrade its existing cooling system. The new system, designed by Ratnik Industries, increases CFM from 10,000 to 14,000. Gunstock’s original system’s output was approximately 48º F, while the new system will discharge at 38º F. The 10-degree difference can result in a 5- to 10-percent increase in energy efficiency. Even more important, the colder compressed air reduces moisture and condensation in the compressed air stream prior to discharging to the slope piping. Moisture in the compressed air stream is a leading cause of internal freezing in hoses and nozzles. The additional cooling of the new system will minimize down time related to thawing nozzles and switching hoses.

Gunstock expects the direct efficiencies will be 250 to 350 KW depending on temperature. This is achieved by reducing the compressed air temperature, eliminating a 4.5 PSI pressure drop, and eliminating moisture venting, which equals 82 KW. In addition, the resort will increase overall air efficiency by 550 CFM by eliminating the need to bleed air at the cooler to expel moisture, which will allow five additional guns to operate. Gunstock expects about a two-season ROI in energy efficiency on the new unit.


BOYNE, MICHIGAN
This year’s snowmaking improvements consist of 10 new Boyne Low-E fan guns at Boyne Mountain and 40 Low-E fan guns at sister resort Boyne Highlands. The project cost was $250,000. The Low-E fan guns, built by SMI for Boyne, feature proprietary Boyne technology that maximizes snow output, especially at marginal temperatures. The guns create a lighter, more natural snow and are up to 40% more efficient than standard models, with a pumping capacity increase of 1,000 GPM.

The increased efficiency enables both resorts to produce better coverage and quickly expand terrain, particularly at the beginning of the season.