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Sugarloaf $1 mill. for low-e guns
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Forums : NELSAP Discussion : NELSAP Discussion
Moderated by: Chris, nelsap, Betsy, the_hop |
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Sugarloaf $1 mill. for low-e guns
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tom whiteProfile | Galleries Rank: 
Member Since: Posts: 714 Location: |
Posted: Jun 06, 2012 - 6:18 PM GMT ropeways.net | Home | 2012-06-05 Sugarloaf awarded $300,000 Efficiency Maine grant; will invest $1 million in low-energy snow guns Resort to purchase 300 high-efficiency snow guns from Snow Economics / HKD Snowmakers CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine – Following a winter with one of the lowest snow totals in recent memory, Sugarloaf announced today that it will invest $1 million in new low-energy snow guns this summer. The new technology is expected to improve the resort’s ability to make snow in key areas and at warmer temperatures, while simultaneously reducing its electricity consumption. The investment was made possible by a $300,000 business grant from Efficiency Maine, an independent trust dedicated to the efficient and cost-effective use of energy in order to save money for Maine residents, grow the economy, and create jobs. The competitive grant program allowed Maine businesses, institutions, and governments to compete for project funding for large electrical energy efficiency and distributed generation projects. The grant was awarded based on the expected energy savings from the new snowmaking technology and a commitment of a $700,000 investment from Sugarloaf. The resort will use the funding to purchase 300 HKD SV10 Impulse snowguns, the most advanced energy-efficient snowmaking technology on the market. The new guns, manufactured by Snow Economics Inc. / HKD Snowmakers, will replace Sugarloaf’s older, less efficient snowmaking equipment. The HKD SV10 Impulse guns are able to make the same amount of snow using up to 90 percent less compressed air (depending on temperature). Compressed air production represents the largest area of electricity consumption in the snowmaking process. “After the weather we saw last winter, we decided that upgrading our snowmaking capabilities needed to be a priority this summer,” Sugarloaf General Manager John Diller said. “Some of our sister resorts have experimented with this new low-energy technology over the past two seasons, so we know how well it works. It will allow us to produce more snow at key times, while reducing the overall amount of electricity we consume. It’s really a win-win.” The new snowmaking technology will greatly improve Sugarloaf’s ability to make snow at warmer temperatures and open trails early in the season, resulting in more available terrain during the important Christmas vacation period. In addition, the new equipment will allow the resort to build up larger base depths on key trails, improving its ability to stay open later in the spring. Of the new snowguns, 275 will be installed on towers in fixed locations, while the remaining 25 will be sled-mounted guns that can be transported around the mountain and utilized in multiple locations. The fixed tower-guns will be installed primarily on central-mountain trails, including King’s Landing, Hayburner, Tote Road, Sluice, and Candyside. The new equipment is expected to arrive at the resort in late summer and will be installed this fall, prior to Sugarloaf’s opening day. The investment is part of the resort’s “Sugarloaf 2020” ten-year development plan, which over the past two years has added nearly 400 acres of new terrain and a new state-of-the-art chairlift, as well as numerous other resort upgrades. For more information on “Sugarloaf 2020” please visit www.sugarloaf2020.com For more information on Efficiency Maine, please visit www.efficiencymaine.com For more information on Snow Economics Inc. / HKD Snowmakers, please visit www.hkdsnowmakers.com |
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newman Profile | Galleries Rank:
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Posted: Jun 06, 2012 - 11:21 PM GMT Why do areas always use the term during warmer temps, when speaking about HKD? Its a nice thing to say, but it is far from true. The way to do this would be what areas are going to start doing in alot of spots. A HKD gun right next to an older air water gun. The HKD in cold temps, saving energy. The air waters in marginal temps, being air hogs. Hunter started this years ago. Its expensive, but in some warmer mountains it may be the only way to scrape together a opening. With being all HKD, sometimes you may have to wait for a cooler time or you make more soup than the chef. __________ Attachments:
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millerm277 Profile | Galleries Rank:
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Posted: Jun 08, 2012 - 2:09 PM GMT These are really not a good fit for most of Sugarloaf. They have absolutely no throw. A slight breeze and all you're doing is making snow in the glades, at which point how efficient they are doesn't really matter. Killington tried them this year and they could barely cover 1/3rd of OL and took an extremely long time to make anything.....and OL is much less windy than Sugarloaf. |
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obienick Profile | Galleries Rank:
Member Since: Posts: 1168 Location: |
Posted: Jun 08, 2012 - 7:11 PM GMTEdited: Jun 08, 2012 - 7:15 PM GMT The reports that I have read on AZ state that they turned the new HKDs on OL on when there was a strong and steady headwind. This is not the fault of either the new model or any tower model for that matter. It sounds like a bad decision by the snowmaking foreman or upper management. They had been getting a lot of flack for not making snow on expert trails, and I'm sure they were desperate to open a signature run. Ideally the foreman or management....whoever made the decision to blow snow on that trail at that time....should be more flexible and be able to adapt to bad forecasts. Snow should have been made earlier or later on that trail, but not at that time frame. And during that time, snow should have been made elsewhere on the mountain to get more of a side wind. Or...if they were really desperate to open it, they should have used ground guns. It also sounds they made the situation worse by only trying to groom it out after a rain-freeze event, which then produced large ice boulders on skiers right. But what do I know, I'm arm chair snow blowing here. I do know that these guns make excellent snow if they are properly operated. I've skied under the SV10 model during its first winter at WaWa. This is before they added the air flow regulator. The snow can only be better now. |
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newman Profile | Galleries Rank:
Member Since: Posts: 2124 Location: |
Posted: Jun 08, 2012 - 10:05 PM GMT Quote: The reports that I have read on AZ state that they turned the new HKDs on OL on when there was a strong and steady headwind. This is not the fault of either the new model or any tower model for that matter. It sounds like a bad decision by the snowmaking foreman or upper management. They had been getting a lot of flack for not making snow on expert trails, and I'm sure they were desperate to open a signature run. Ideally the foreman or management....whoever made the decision to blow snow on that trail at that time....should be more flexible and be able to adapt to bad forecasts. Snow should have been made earlier or later on that trail, but not at that time frame. And during that time, snow should have been made elsewhere on the mountain to get more of a side wind. Or...if they were really desperate to open it, they should have used ground guns. It also sounds they made the situation worse by only trying to groom it out after a rain-freeze event, which then produced large ice boulders on skiers right. But what do I know, I'm arm chair snow blowing here. I do know that these guns make excellent snow if they are properly operated. I've skied under the SV10 model during its first winter at WaWa. This is before they added the air flow regulator. The snow can only be better now. No matter what wind, those guns will not reach the skiers right of OL. If you ever want to ski skiers right again on man made snow you will have to have alot of snowmaking time and alot of winch cat grooming to keep pushing the snow downhill and right. More money than they may want to spend. They lost some footage just by adding the HKD mounts under the chair. A signature trail gets smaller just like the whole mountains of Killington. Go figure. |
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obienick Profile | Galleries Rank:
Member Since: Posts: 1168 Location: |
Posted: Jun 09, 2012 - 4:24 AM GMT Quote: No matter what wind, those guns will not reach the skiers right of OL. If you ever want to ski skiers right again on man made snow you will have to have alot of snowmaking time and alot of winch cat grooming to keep pushing the snow downhill and right. More money than they may want to spend. They lost some footage just by adding the HKD mounts under the chair. A signature trail gets smaller just like the whole mountains of Killington. Go figure. The only gun that has a 250' throw is something along the lines of the Super PoleCat, and there is no way that Killington is going to spend $~650k to outfit OL with ~20 Super PoleCats. And they'll need to be on towers due to the grade so they can't be used elsewhere unless Killington invests in the SMI lift package (which I have yet to come across at a ski area). And even Super PoleCats deposit most of their snow closer to the gun. And wasn't there already tower-mounted Ratnik's at the same locations as the new HKD towers? |
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loafasaur Profile | Galleries Rank:
Member Since: Posts: 699 Location: |
Posted: Jun 09, 2012 - 1:20 PM GMT With the possible exception of Tote Road above where the Superquad dumps in, all the locations mentioned for these guns are out of the wind. Snowcats have blades. They push a lot of mademade snow a long ways @ SL. __________ loafasaur |
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newman Profile | Galleries Rank:
Member Since: Posts: 2124 Location: |
Posted: Jun 09, 2012 - 9:07 PM GMTEdited: Jun 09, 2012 - 9:10 PM GMT And wasn't there already tower-mounted Ratnik's at the same locations as the new HKD towers?[/quote] I guess there were tower Rats between the time of HKD and the ground gun? So, I guess yes. Still acres lost on OL when the hoses are not pulled in for the season with a nice dump to ski behind the guns. Imagine 25 Polecats on that run? Thay may never have to groom it again! The photo is K-Marts Snowdon. A TurboCrystal I think. __________ Attachments:
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