Kaunertal Glacier Takes Important Step Towards Energy Autonomy
Over the course of the summer, the Weißseejochbahn and Karlesjochbahn station buildings were equipped with a total of 260 PV modules to generate electricity for the mountain railways. For the Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen, this is an important step towards energy autonomy.
A total of 260 new PV modules were installed on the Kaunertal Glacier over the course of the summer. These were mounted on the mountain and valley station of the new Weißseejochbahn and on the valley station of the Karlesjochbahn. In addition, the Weißseejochbahn, which went into operation in December 2021, was equipped with an energy-efficient direct drive. There is no seat heating in the gondolas. Instead, the seats are covered with warm loden fabric.
“We are consistently working on generating the energy required to operate the mountain railways ourselves. With the new PV modules, we have taken an important step towards energy autonomy, which will be followed by others," explains Franz Wackernell, Managing Director of Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen.
Energy efficiency was also a key planning component for the Falginjochbahn, which went into operation in December 2019. The braking energy generated when the "Funifor" gondola descends is fed into the power grid. The waste heat from the drive units is used to heat the valley station building.
Sustainable year-round tourism in the Kaunertal
The Kaunertal holiday region and its tourist businesses are fully committed to sustainable and natural year-round tourism. For this, the Kaunertal was awarded the “Best Tourism Villages” sustainability seal in 2021. Using progress and technology intelligently in terms of sustainable management is therefore the top priority for the Kaunertal Glacier Railways.
“We operate in a resource-saving and ecological manner. Our goal is to create a sustainable recreation area in the Alps together with the tourist businesses in the Kaunertal and to keep our ecological footprint as small as possible," emphasizes Beate Rubatscher-Larcher, Managing Director of the Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen.
