Sauerland Winter Sports Arena: Increasing Use Of All-weather Snow Generators

The ski resorts in the Sauerland Winter Sports Arena used the summer to make plans for the coming winter. It has now been decided that around 5 million euros will once again be invested in winter sports. The measures are intended to increase snow reliability while significantly increasing sustainability.

For several years now, all-weather snow generators have been used in the Winterberg ski lift carousel, which can produce snow regardless of the outside temperature. Initially, these were individual systems that were installed for testing and development purposes. The technology has since proven itself and energy requirements have been continuously reduced. By using waste heat, the energy balance is currently being improved even further. There will be seven new systems in the Winterberg ski lift carousel next winter. One of these will supply the Snow White House with heat as a pilot project. This multifunctional building includes catering, ski rental, ticket sales and staff accommodation.

Classic snowmaking using propeller machines (“snow cannons”) and snow lances uses the cold that nature provides to transform clear water into fine snow crystals. All-weather snowmaking systems, on the other hand, generate cold themselves, again without polluting the water.

Energy balance makes tremendous progress

Wherever cold is produced, heat is generated. From the beginning, the aim of the manufacturers and lift operators was to use this waste heat, which is now possible. It is transferred to water using a heat exchanger and piped 50 metres to Snow White's house.

A comparison: The new all-weather snow system at the Snow White House delivers up to 95 kW of usable energy for heat recovery. A heat pump for a single-family home (100 to 150 square meters) usually delivers around 5 to 7.5 kW of heating power. If the system were classified according to energy efficiency classes like refrigerators, it would achieve class C.

Development is progressing steadily. The latest generation of all-weather snowmaking systems is extremely efficient. The first of these is located on Poppenberg. It even has a usable thermal energy output of 160 kW and would achieve energy efficiency class A. The system at the Snow White House can produce up to 210 cubic metres of snow per day, the one at Poppenberg up to 360 kW.

The operators at Poppenberg also want to use the waste heat from the plant. Construction work has already begun, but will have to be paused over the winter. The operators expect completion in the course of 2025. If the project is successful, other heat recovery systems will be made available as soon as possible.

All-weather snowmaking systems of this type are located in the Winterberg ski lift carousel on the Schneewittchenhang, in the Rauher Busch and, more recently, on the Bremberg. Since snow production is now possible in these areas regardless of the outside temperature, the slopes are now highly snow-sure. The systems help to make the start of the season more predictable and to keep skiing going when traditional snowmaking cannot be used at certain times. In total, this covers five to six kilometers of slopes.

In addition, the classic snowmaking system on the cap in the Winterberg ski lift carousel is being optimized. In one place, older snow generators are being replaced with new, more powerful and more energy-efficient ones.

The situation is similar in the Altastenberg ski carousel. After the major investments of previous years, smaller-scale measures are now being taken to ensure more optimal use of the snowmaking system and the lift. The last construction work on the chairlift at the hall for storing the chairs has now been completed.

The Fahlenscheid ski area near Olpe is also expanding its snowmaking system and supplementing the existing snowmakers with new, particularly energy-efficient machines. They have also equipped their piste roller with a GPS snow depth measuring system. When preparing the slopes, the operators can use the values ​​displayed to see exactly where more snow is needed and where there is enough. A total of five ski areas now use this resource-saving system. Experience shows that this can save around ten percent of energy in snowmaking. At the same time, it helps to improve the quality of the slopes.

The Fahlenscheid ski area is easy to navigate and is well suited to families. That is why the operators have developed special family packages and are working on further projects to make the day in the snow more enjoyable for visitors both big and small.

On the way to climate neutrality

Another measure to increase sustainability is the use of "biodiesel". Starting next winter, the snow groomers in the Winterberg ski lift carousel will be powered exclusively by HVO. The use of this environmentally friendly new fuel saves up to 90 percent CO2 compared to conventional diesel, meaning that the snow groomers can be operated in an almost climate-neutral way.

For four years now, the region's five largest ski resorts have been using only green electricity to operate their facilities. The current measures, heat recovery and HVO, are further steps to increase sustainability. Winter sports in the region are to be climate-neutral by 2030.

Another piece of good news is that the reservoirs in all ski areas are well filled after the wet year. The abundant rain has refilled the water reservoirs in the forests and contained the bark beetle. Areas where "beetle wood" had to be removed have been reforested with beech, Douglas fir, spruce and silver fir in the Winterberg ski lift carousel in the Rauher Busch and Bremberg areas.

Healthy activity in the snow for children and young people

A trip to the snow, skiing or tobogganing with the whole class: this is not possible for all children. To take the burden off parents and offer children healthy exercise and fun in the snow, the Sauerland Winter Sports Arena has developed a program. After the high demand in the previous winter, the initiators now want to continue and expand this. Ten school classes can go skiing or tobogganing for a day. Skiing lessons, equipment and tickets are free for those who apply. The ten days of skiing will be raffled off via various channels until the end of the year. The project office is accepting inquiries from class teachers.

The Winterberg ski lift carousel is also committed to promoting skiing among children. The international initiative Kids on Ski aims to help parents enable children to ski and get them excited about skiing. After the successful pilot phase in well-known alpine ski resorts, the initiative is now being introduced in the German low mountain ranges for the first time. Accommodation, tickets, ski lessons and equipment for pre-school children are free. Anyone who books a five-day stay during the week in the participating hotels can take part in the campaign. This applies to the pre-season until the start of the Christmas holidays, in January from the end of the Christmas holidays (January 6th) and in the post-season from March 3rd.

The kids on snow campaign has been running in the ski village of Neuastenberg for around 15 years. The project is an initiative of the German Ski Instructors Association (DLSV) and therefore guarantees high professional quality. Teachers register their classes at the Hochsauerland ski school in Neuastenberg. Specific dates are available. Ski lessons, equipment and tickets are available at a greatly reduced price.

In addition, many ski schools, in cooperation with the ski resorts, offer discounts in the form of special school class programs.