It has also been one of the most experimental, using a hydroelectric power plant both to generate electricity in summer and create snow in winter. The Austrian resort of Zell am See- Kaprun is powering its lifts with electricity from only renewable sources, as well as using solar panels and heat pumps to heat buildings. Phot: Zell an See-Kaprun Tourism_Faistauer Photography Zell am See-Kaprun, Austria But while France has avoided Swiss chalet sprawl, it is still frustrating to arrive at resorts where privately owned apartments are shuttered for most of the season, encouraging the building of new hotels. It is producing electricity by combining three renewable sources: hydro-electricity, solar panels and small wind-turbines. Serre Chevalier is another French resort making big strides. It sounds low-tech but-as anyone who has suffered an over-heated hotel room will know-much energy wastage is down to thoughtlessness. The blocks have been updated with more energy efficient window frames and lighting, and a ban on window shutters.
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The architect made full use of the sunny plateau with simple but effective energy-saving measures, such as roofs insulated by snow, and ensuring 95 percent of apartments face south, to cut heating costs. In pedestrianised Avoriaz, apartment blocks built in the 1960s have stood the test of time. The full impact of multi-millionaires building these investment properties is rarely calculated, but studies estimate that half of the lifecycle carbon of a residential building is emitted before it is even occupied, concluding that it is better to retrofit old buildings. The nearby resort of Saas-Fee-also car-free with a fleet of electric buses-is another eco-pioneer, using geothermal probes for energy.īut Switzerland has often failed to prevent the spread of private chalets around certain resorts. Other measures include more natural lighting, better insulation and the use of more expensive, but more efficient, diesel for snow groomers. So the resort uses solar panels able to withstand ice and hail on restaurants and lift stations, estimating that their altitude makes them up to 80 per cent more effective than elsewhere in Switzerland. In car-free Zermatt, guests whizz around in electric taxis – but that electricity needs to be generated. Photo: Bruno Helbling Fotografie Zermatt, Switzerland There’s no doubt that these trends will see more and more resorts unable to operate in the decades to come. But what about the resorts-and resort operators-themselves, who face a threat that’s nothing short of existential?Ī Swiss study showed there are 38 fewer days of natural snow every winter than in 1970, while a French study pointed to 23 fewer days around Chamonix Mont Blanc over a similar period. Taking a train to the Alps can cut the carbon emissions of your journey by 90 percent, according to the best estimates.
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But how to help?Īmong winter sports enthusiasts, much of the discussion revolves around travel to and from resort. The key to ensuring that it will, of course, lies in curbing carbon emissions. Or ponder-as we stand surrounded by visibly shrinking glaciers, and an ever-growing number of snow canons-how long our favourite activity will be able to continue. It’s impossible not to notice its impacts on the slopes around us.
Of all holidaymakers, skiers and snowboarders are arguably the most aware of the threat of global warming.
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