HIGHMOUNT – As temperatures hover
in the upper 80s into the 90s today, snow almost sounds refreshing. With
that in mind, the state-owned Belleayre Mountain ski resort in Highmount
is going to convert its snow making operations from diesel power to solar
generated electricity.
The state-owned facility, along with its two sister ski centers, Gore
and Whiteface Mountain, are converted over solar power through a 25-year
power purchase agreement with Borrego Solar.
Belleayre began transitioning away from diesel air compressors to electric,
as well as adding energy-efficient snow making guns to its fleet of 600
guns that are responsible for covering the Catskill region’s 55
trails.
Low-energy, high-efficiency guns use the same amount of water as a traditional
gun, but the air that these guns use is 25-percent of the traditional
gun. The energy savings come from running compressors for a shorter period
of time, while making more snow in less time and shortening the snowmaking
reason.
