“We can’t afford the snow lottery”

Pictures of working snowballs split opinions: mountain railways will be among the first countries to have to stop working if there is a power outage next winter, according to the federal government. However, snowmaking is currently in full swing wherever temperatures are low enough.

Artificial snow production is a power consuming thing. Mountain railways defy profit-making criticism, saying the industry is responsible for only 0.3 percent of Swiss electricity consumption. But for Christina Marchand (53) this is an excuse: “It takes the whole economy to reduce electricity consumption. Every savings helps to avoid a power outage. That’s why no one should shy away from responsibility,” says the energy expert.

Will the electricity be cut from February?

According to the federal government, a power outage is unlikely, but will likely be tight in February and March. In the case of mountain railways, power consumption peaks already in November and December. At this stage, the mountain railways are laying a carpet of snow for the winter. After that, consumption drops again significantly. But even that isn’t a reason for Marchand to give up on saving: “The fuller our reservoirs are now, the greater the electricity reserves will be in the spring.”

So what does this mean for mountain railroads? “You have to take a very close look at where snowmaking is really necessary and where it can be reduced,” says Christina Marchand.

Ski areas need timely snow making

Snowmaking is very important to mountain railways. “Without technical snowmaking, it has often been impossible to open a connected ski area in time for the Christmas holidays in recent years,” says Matthias In-Albon (37), CEO of Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad BE. Railways in Gstaad generate a quarter of their annual turnover on public holidays. That’s when most skiers flock to the slopes. That’s when “the destination won’t be able to afford a profit lottery,” says In-Albon.

With the lottery, it is not only the pleasure of skiing and the turnover of mountain railways. Hotels, holiday homes, accommodation, sports shops, markets – it all depends on the ski resorts. People in winter sports destinations hardly realize that winter sports are reduced to a leisure activity that can be turned off if necessary.

For them, winter means income and work. «One out of every five francs in the mountain region is produced directly or indirectly by tourism. Marc Lagger, spokesman for the Zermatt Bergbahnen, says that is why it has to do with the existence of mountainous areas.

Snowballs and snow spears have just begun in Gstaad. Bergbahnen Gstaad wants to only snow when temperatures are ideal to save energy this year. There is also a lot of snow being made in Zermatt. “Snowmaking is crucial to providing guests at the Zermatt Matterhorn destination with a product that meets their high expectations,” Lagger emphasizes.

Mountain railways implement efficiency measures

But the industry is not sitting idle: According to the Bergbahnen Gstaad, energy consumption has been reduced by 1.9 gigawatt hours per year in recent years thanks to efficiency measures. Zermatt Bergbahnen also relies on the Minergie standard for new buildings with solar systems on their roofs. In addition, the speed of the lanes is adjusted according to the number of guests. If there are fewer guests, the speed is reduced to save electricity.

There is activity in the sector: in many places better use of waste heat, photovoltaic, geothermal and solar energy is being studied. “Available barriers on southern slopes are ideal for high-efficiency solar power plants, even if there is no slope,” says Matthias In-Albon. Projects such as snow making systems that can be operated as hydroelectric power plants are increasing day by day. Necessary infrastructure such as reservoirs, pressure lines and pumping stations will be available in most cases.