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ItalianoUpdated 22.12.2022
Energy-efficient, space-saving, unique in the world to date: the parking system for the gondolas of the Weißseejochbahn of the Kaunertal Glacier, which will open at the end of 2021, has made it into the top 3 of the Tyrolean Innovation Award of the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce.
Kaunertal, 16 December 2022. With innovative projects, the use of renewable energy and an orientation towards a circular economy, the Kaunertal Glacier is consistently developing into a sustainable and energy-autonomous ski area. One of these projects is the innovative and space-saving garaging of the Weißseejochbahn gondolas, which saves 40% of valuable alpine space, as well as the installation of 260 photovoltaic modules on the mountain and valley station, which generate up to 50% of the energy used by the cable car. At the Tyrolean Innovation Award of the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce, the Kaunertal Glacier thus secured a top 3 placement in the category "Technical Innovation" out of a total of 29 nominations.
Giving nature more space
At the end of a ski day, gondolas are garaged, i.e. safely parked. Normally this requires a separate building next to the mountain or valley station or a correspondingly large valley station building. The Weißsee lift on the Kaunertal Glacier is different: the mountain and valley stations were planned to be as small as possible and to blend in perfectly with the surrounding mountains. In addition, with the new parking system, the spur tracks to the left and right of the cable car were brought so close to the profile of the cable car that all 33 gondolas can also be parked in the valley station in a very confined space. This system thus saves 40% of space compared to conventional solutions. A separate garage building is no longer needed, the valley station building could be planned much smaller and soil sealing avoided. What's more, the new system can be used to increase the number of gondola cabins to 41, as a further 12 gondolas can be parked in the mountain station.
Reducing energy consumption and harnessing the power of the sun Just as the impact on nature is kept to a minimum on the Kaunertal Glacier, energy is also used as efficiently as possible. For this reason, the Weißsee lift uses a direct drive that is as energy-efficient as it is quiet, enabling both a significant reduction in noise and a saving in energy consumption of eight percent. In addition, a total of 260 photovoltaic modules were installed on the top and bottom stations of the Weißseebahn. Up to 50 per cent of the Weißsee cable car's energy needs can be covered by these, the remaining demand is drawn from hydroelectric power. Seat heating in the gondolas was deliberately dispensed with; instead, the seats are covered with warming loden fabric. "It was important to us to integrate the Weißsee lift as sustainably, space-savingly and inconspicuously as possible into the sensitive high alpine natural environment. The fact that a top ranking in the Tyrolean Innovation Award recognises how much we have succeeded in doing this naturally makes me very happy," says Ing. Franz Wackernell, Managing Director of Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen. As spectacular as the gondola garaging, drive and energy solutions applied are, innovation and technology should ultimately adapt to nature, says Wackernell: "Instead of renunciation, restriction and reduction, we use progress and technology to follow a socially intelligent, ecological path in harmony with nature."
Contact for queries:
Karin Wille, k.wille@tirolgletscher.com, +43 5475 5566 53, +43 664 81 61 777Franz Josef Aichner, fj.aichner@brandmedia.cc, +43 512 312 118 60, +43 676 413 99 87