As our energy costs continue to spiral, I think all of us are concerned where this will end.   There are two ways to tackle this in our domestic worlds and in business alike.   Firstly, reduce the amount we use, and secondly, reduce the amount we need to purchase from elsewhere.   Succeeding in these two areas limits exposure and financial risk.   

Last year, a small family-owned New England resort did just that.   When installation of this turbine was completed in January, Berkshire East gained the distinction of becoming the world's first 100 percent wind-powered ski resort. 

Was the resort doing it for  ‘green’ reasons or financial reasons? 
I question whether it matters.  

For a resort to be sustainable in every sense of the word – it also needs to survive financially.   If it goes bankrupt all the economic and employment benefits to the local community are lost.

For small ski resorts, soaring energy costs are one of the main reasons they struggle.  Berkshire East's operators have said  that trading rising electricity bills for fixed loan payments, and free fuel costs, was essential to the area's continued economic viability.

The project was partially-backed by state and federal grants and should reach an economic “break-even" point within a decade.   

The installation also eliminates 1,400 tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions-the equivalent of taking about 250 cars off the road each year. 

The win-win nature of such projects is making them increasingly popular –and I hope many more resorts see the benefits of this approach.
 
 
A hotel on the ski slopes close by St Moritz has won an award for producing more energy than it uses.

The Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl up on the ski slopes of the Engadin has recently been awarded the Swiss Solar Award 2011 and the PlusEnergieBau® (PEB) Solar Award 2011. The latter is the only prize in the world for buildings that generate more energy than they need themselves.

The 104 year-old hotel was fully renovated in 2010 with a particular focus on environmental-friendliness with the aim of creating the first ‘plus-energy’ hotel in the Alps and proving that this can be done in old buildings as well as new.

Besides constructing the building according to the principles and requirements of the Swiss "Minergie" ecological label, this project went several steps further.

Although the surface area of the building was extended from 1,700 sq. metres to 2,700 sq. metres, despite the 50% increase in size, it was possible to reduce the energy consumption by 64%, from 436,000 kWh/a to 157,400 kWh/a. This was achieved by insulating the building in line with the latest standards and by generating renewable energy from five different sources.

Hot water is obtained by means of solar energy produced by the 60 sq. metres of pipe solar collectors installed in the glass window panes in the basement. Sixteen thermal loops with an average length of 200 metres, making 3,200 metres in total, supply the entire building with geothermal energy.

In addition, all the necessary electricity is generated by the most efficient photovoltaic system in Switzerland, extending 228 metres along the railway line. Any excess of solar energy is stored in the ground via the thermal loops, thus regenerating the geothermal mass.

The recovery of the waste heat from the cooling units, exhaust air and the machine room are further measures to transform the new building into a sustainable and environmentally-friendly enterprise that, taken over the entire year, even produces more energy than it actually needs.

The hotel’s requirements before renovations of approximately 40,000 litres of heating oil and 36,600 kWh/a of electricity are now entirely covered by solar energy.

Veronica adds “This just shows what can be done – even in old buildings through retrofitting – and in a difficult location up 2456 metres up the mountain!”
 
 
A second Massachusetts ski area has completed installation of a major wind turbine in order to power the resort’s snowmaking, lifts and other facilities.  Berkshire East ski area’s new turbine joins that of Jiminy Peak.

The new 90 metre high turbine is expecting to produce 2.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, the equivalent of the electricity needs of about 300 homes and 100% of the ski area’s requirements, about half that produced by Jiminy Peak’s turbine.

The turbine allows the family run ski area, which is the largest employer in the local area, to secure its operation for the next 25 years say the owners, when previously they had been concerned spiralling energy costs could make them no longer financially viable by 2015.

Veronica adds "As well as reducing the impact of their ski operations, and reducing their overall emissions, this creates security.  It is in everyone's interest to protect themselves as much as possible from the energy uncertainties of the future."