| Tim Boyd was quoted as saying the following in a recent local newspaper article:
Fan gun costs are initially expensive but Boyd said they save money because they are more efficient. “Fan gun air compressors cost about 40% of what it costs to run the diesel compressors,” said Boyd. “They convert more water to snow; they have a much longer throw and shoot 30% higher than air-water guns.”
Here is the whole article from the Deerfield Valley News (May 8-14th edition)
Mount Snow upgrades continue
Tim Boyd
By Christian Avard
WEST DOVER- The 2007-2008 ski season is over and according to Peak Resorts president Tim Boyd, Mount Snow did just fine. This marks the first season since ownership changed hands and now Boyd is determined to take the resort to another level.
Last week, Peak Resorts announced its snowmaking plans for next season. An additional 150 fan guns will be installed this summer. That brings their total to 251, the most in North America. The fan guns will cost approximately $5 million but more important, will save in energy costs, eliminate 16 diesel compressors used for traditional air-water guns, and save approximately 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year. “The fans have their own on-board air compressors and they’re electric. By adding more fan guns, we can eliminate all the rental diesels we had,” said Boyd. “Basically, you don’t have much of a carbon footprint because they’re not doing (the amount of) pollution the air compressors are.”
Fan gun costs are initially expensive but Boyd said they save money because they are more efficient. “Fan gun air compressors cost about 40% of what it costs to run the diesel compressors,” said Boyd. “They convert more water to snow; they have a much longer throw and shoot 30% higher than air-water guns.”
Boyd said the fan guns will be installed on Ridge, Meadow, Upper Nitro, Lower Titanium, Mine Shaft, Deer Run, Canyon, Lodge, and Lower Exhibition, and other locations. In addition, Peak Resorts will invest $1.4 million in painting chair lifts, improving locker rooms, and upgrading the Mount Snow Golf Course. However, snowmaking remains the number-one priority and given Mother Nature’s finickiness, Boyd said he can’t complain.
“We did a great job in snowmaking. The fact that Mount Snow was the first mountain to open top to bottom made the statement we were looking for: Snowmaking is going to be our top priority,” said Boyd.
The West Lake Project continues to move along. Boyd is aware of all the latest developments and said he expects it to be a long process but in the end, he believes state and local officials want Mount Snow to succeed. “Things are on track for where we want to go. We understand (the West Lake project) is a long-term project. It’s not going to happen overnight.,” said Boyd.
Overall, Boyd knows that not every winter may be as successful as the recent one. With increasing gasoline prices and a recession looming, Boyd realizes energy costs are only going up, not down. In the long run, Boyd believes fan gun technology can help Mount Snow keep costs down. “We spend about 75%-80% of our energy costs on snowmaking. These fan guns use 30%-40% of the energy that air-water guns use. You have to figure out ways to be more efficient,” said Boyd. “We’re doing this because we’re going to save more money. We can’t pass these costs onto the customers.”
Looking ahead, Boyd said Mount Snow will also undergo a revitalization of base facilities. Other than the Grand Summit Hotel and the Mount Snow Discovery Center, Boyd observed “there was not a modern building in the area.” If Mount Snow is going to compete with area resorts such as Stratton and Okemo, then Mount Snow will need to invest in new facilities. “Over time this is going to change. It’s not finished, but we’re working on the long term,” said Boyd. “Mount Snow is going to look a lot different in five-10 years because it has to. We’re not going to stand still.” |