New paths on the mountain

“Air conditioning” for snow production

"Technical snow" can be produced more efficiently if the water is cold enough.(Bild: Bergbahnen Bad Kleinkirchheim)

The largest reservoir in the Bad Kleinkirchheim ski area is cooled down to the ideal temperature. This allows snow to be produced efficiently. The system itself cost just under 1.6 million euros.

"It actually works like an air conditioning system for the reservoir. We can produce 300 liters per second with the new system," explains Bergbahnen CEO Hansjörg Pflauder. "The water is normally at eight degrees, between one and two degrees is the optimum temperature." This is when "technical snow", as it is called by the professionals, can be produced most efficiently. "There's only water and air in it, so the term 'artificial snow' doesn't fit," clarifies Pflauder.

This is the cooling system used to cool down the reservoir on the Nockalm.(Bild: Bergbahneen Bad Kleinklirchheim)

Slopes supplied right down to the valley
Since November, the 177,000 cubic meters of water in the reservoir on the Nockalm have been cooled down - the system itself cost almost 1.6 million euros. From here, the slopes can be supplied with water all the way down to the valley on the sunny side. "We cool the water in the other reservoirs by circulating it with air pumps. This works because they are not so big," explains the cable car director.

We save more energy in snow production than we use to cool the water. We also use a lot of PV electricity.

Hansjörg Pflauder, Vorstand Bergbahnen Bad Kleinkirchheim

Bild: daniela ebner

Renewable energies are used
The focus is also on efficiency in other areas. "Photovoltaic modules are installed on most of the buildings," says Pflauder. "We produce our own electricity this way." They have even thought about using the ponds as pumped storage. "This would allow us to produce electricity exactly when it is most needed. Unfortunately, our ponds are not suitable for this at the moment," says Pflauder. "You need a decent height difference between two ponds and large-diameter pipes. But there are already concepts for the future."