Solar Power at Kitzsteinhorn
The ingredients for a perfect day on the slopes are magnificent runs, great snow, and, above all, electricity. Without electricity, the many moving parts of the complex system required to operate a ski resort would simply come to a standstill. Kitzsteinhorn has relied entirely on green electricity for many years, generating part of it with its own photovoltaic systems.
FACT: Kitzsteinhorn is certified to ISO 50001 for its energy management system. In addition, Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG sources the electricity for all of its operating facilities from renewable, carbon-neutral energy sources. Kitzsteinhorn is one of the first Alpine ski resorts to operate its own combined pumping and hydropower plant.
In the fall, the hydropower plant pumps water for snowmaking. In the summer, meltwater and rainwater drive the turbines to generate electricity. Waste heat from the high-performance motors of selected cable cars is used to heat buildings. Kitzsteinhorn also harnesses clean energy from the sun.
Our photovoltaic systems generate around 500,000 kWh of electricity per year.
On the Sunny Side
It is a beautiful summer day, and the sun is shining in a cloudless sky. “Perfect conditions! For hiking on the Maiskogel, mountain biking, taking a day trip to Kitzsteinhorn—and generating our own electricity,” says Authorized Technical Officer Günther Brennsteiner enthusiastically during our visit to the Kaprun Center.
The modern building is not only the administrative headquarters of Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG, but also the base station of the MK Maiskogelbahn, a sports shop, ski storage facility, ticket office, and the starting point for the 3K K-onnection to Kitzsteinhorn.
“When the Kaprun Center was built in 2018, photovoltaic panels were installed on its roof. Additional solar panels are integrated into the façades of the 3K K-onnection cable car stations and the mid-station of the Gletscherjet 3+4. The Kaprun Center is also heated with geothermal energy.”
Generating Our Own Solar Power
We head straight up to the roof of the Kaprun Center and find ourselves surrounded by solar arrays. We are accompanied by in-house electrician Ernst Streitberger, who is responsible for servicing and maintaining the photovoltaic systems.
“Our photovoltaic systems currently generate around 500,000 kWh of electricity per year,” Günther Brennsteiner explains.
“In the summer, for example, we use the electricity generated by these panels to power the Kaprun Center. The solar energy we generate is used almost entirely on site, while the Kaprun Center is heated with geothermal energy. Any electricity we do not use is fed into Salzburg AG’s grid,” explains the building technician, who tends the solar arrays as carefully as a gardener tends plants.
