Serre Chevalier is working hard to become the first-ever 100% sustainable ski resort in Europe. Through investments in green energy and paper-free lift passes, this French ski resort is setting an inspiring example for other ski resorts in Europe. Here are some ways Serre Chevalier is making an effort to minimise their impact on the environment.
Serre-Chevalier hopes to one day be able to run entirely on self-generated green energy. The ski resort turned its focus towards green energy in 2016 and hopes that by the year 2021, 30% of the energy needed to run the resort will be obtained by in-house sustainable production methods. Currently, Serre Chevalier relies on hydroelectric power, solar power and wind energy to generate green energy. The ski resort has invested 3.6 million euros so far in sustainable energy.
Interestingly, the main source of sustainable energy at Serre Chevalier comes from artificial snowmaking. The same water that is pumped through the snow cannons also passes through turbines, generating electricity along the way. This form of producing energy uses few natural resources and has virtually no impact on the local landscape.
Over 1400 solar panels have also been installed on the roof of the Vallons chairlift station and on other buildings at Serre Chevalier. As you might have noticed if you've ever been sunburnt while skiing, the sun shines down stronger at high altitudes, producing above-average amounts of solar energy. Plus, Serre Chevalier's location in the southern Alps means the ski resort enjoys 2500 hours of sunshine every year. The solar panels at Serre Chevalier are locally produced.
Serre Chevalier has also installed wind turbines on the summits of the ski area. So far the ski resort has 2 wind turbines, but that number is expected to grow to around 30 in the near future. Along with more wind turbines, Serre Chevalier will also install more solar panels - they'll need solar panels at 10 of the lifts if they want to meet their goal of producing 30% of their own energy in-house by 2021. Serre Chevalier works in partnership with various companies and other ski areas in order to make the whole winter sports world more environmentally friendly.
We've already seen a fair number of ski passes where it's possible to load a few days of skiing or even the entire season's pass onto one reusable ski pass. But Serre Chevalier is taking this a step further, testing out a digital pass for smartphones that would eliminate the need for a physical ski pass. The digital ski pass has already been tested out by 2500 season's passholders, who installed a mobile app which gave access to six ski lifts during the test phase.
This is certainly encouraging news from Serre Chevalier! These types of green innovations will be increasingly vital if we want to move toward a sustainable winter sports industry.
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
