How Mountain Towns Are Using Waste Heat to Stay Warm — And What It Means for the Future of Ski Resorts

Overview

Mountain towns and ski resorts are beginning to tap waste heat—thermal energy released from snowmaking systems, lift motors, wastewater, data centers, and industrial plants—to heat buildings, melt snow, lower emissions, and reduce energy costs. This emerging form of low-carbon district heating is one of the most promising sustainability trends in the ski industry.

This guide explains:

• What waste-heat district heating is

• How mountain towns are already using it

• Ski-industry examples (Europe, U.S., Scandinavia)

• Why it matters for snowmaking, lift infrastructure, and resort sustainability

• Practical barriers to adoption

What Is Waste-Heat District Heating?

Example of a District Energy System with waste heat - shown at the bottom. Figure from LinkedIn - Danfass A/S

Waste heat is thermal energy produced as a byproduct of a mechanical or industrial process—think:

• snowmaking compressor heat

• lift-motor heat

• building HVAC heat

• wastewater and sewer systems

• data-center cooling water

• industrial factories and sawmills

Normally, this heat is released into the air. District-heating systems capture it and distribute it through:

• insulated underground pipes

• heat exchangers

• heat-pump systems

• circulation loops or “thermal energy networks (TENs)”

In mountain environments with high heating loads and tight energy costs, these systems can be game-changing.

Mountain Towns Already Doing This

This is not theoretical — ski-area communities across the world already use waste heat to warm buildings:

St. Johann in Tirol, Austria

• Reuses industrial waste heat from a local plant

• Heats 400+ buildings including hotels, schools, and homes

• Integrates solar + geothermal + sewage-heat exchangers

Winterberg (Germany)

• Uses waste heat from snowmaking and all-weather snow machines

• Heats the Schneewittchenhaus restaurant with a 95 kW waste-heat loop

SkiWelt, Austria

• Pipes lift-motor waste heat to warm service buildings and workshops

• Cuts ~27.9 tons of CO₂ annually

Levi Ski Resort, Finland

• Captures waste heat from snowmaking compressors

• Uses it to warm the gondola building and indoor spaces

Oslo Vinterpark, Norway

• Uses lift-motor waste-heat recovery to heat maintenance workshops

SNØ Indoor Snow Center (Norway)

• Exports more heat to local district-heating customers than it consumes

• Delivers ~7,000 MWh of heat annually from its cooling systems

Vail, Colorado (U.S.) — Emerging Example

• Awarded a $250,000 DOE grant for a geothermal + waste-heat heating network

• System will heat municipal buildings and snow-melt infrastructure

Snowbird, Utah

• Runs a 5.3 MW cogeneration plant, using heat to warm buildings and melt snow

These examples create massive opportunities for U.S. resorts watching Europe lead the way.

Why Ski Resorts Are Perfect for Waste-Heat Reuse

1. Snowmaking Is a Huge Waste-Heat Source

Snow guns & compressors produce large amounts of hot compressed air. That heat can warm:

• lift shacks

• mechanical rooms

• lodges

• employee housing

• snowmelt pads at base areas

2. Lift Motors Generate Recoverable Heat

Motor rooms in gondolas and chairlift stations release steady thermal loads that can feed small-scale district-heat loops.

3. Resorts Need a Lot of Low-Grade Heat

Perfect use cases:

• radiant floor heating

• domestic hot water

• ski-tuning workshops

• bathrooms & guest facilities

• storage and operations buildings

4. Winter = Maximum Demand + Maximum Available Waste Heat

Unlike solar or hydro, snowmaking and lift operations peak during the coldest months, when heating demand is highest.

5. Marketing Advantage

Skiers care—especially younger ones.

Resorts installing waste-heat systems can credibly market:

• “low-carbon ski operations”

• “renewable district heating”

• “circular-energy snowmaking”

How it Works

1. Heat Capture Heat exchangers collect thermal energy from:

   • snowmaking compressors

   • lift-motor cooling systems

   • greywater / sewer mains

   • industrial sources

2. Energy Upgrade (if needed) Heat pumps raise low-temperature waste heat (e.g., wastewater at 50°F) to usable temps for heating.

3. Distribution Loop Heated water circulates through insulated underground pipes.

4. End-Use Delivery Buildings receive:

   • space heating

   • hot water

   • snow-melt system energy

5. Return Loop

   • Cooled water returns to be reheated.

Graphic of an example Waste Heat Reuse Cycle

This is the same principle used in the Stockholm Open District Heating Network, where data centers warm thousands of homes.

Barriers Before U.S. Ski Resorts Can Scale This

Infrastructure Density

Ski towns are spread out—district heat works best in clustered housing or resort-based villages.

High Upfront Costs

Pipes + heat exchangers + heat pumps = capital-intensive.

Variable Heat Sources

Seasonality matters:

• wastewater flow drops in shoulder seasons

• lift-motor heat varies

• snowmaking only runs early season

Regulatory Hurdles

U.S. district-heat utilities are rare; most examples are in Europe.

What a Waste-Heat System Could Look Like at a U.S. Ski Resort

A realistic initial roadmap could include:

Phase 1 – Micro-District Pilot (1–3 buildings) Use lift-motor heat or compressor heat to warm maintenance buildings, locker rooms, or a lift station.

Phase 2 – Base-Area Campus Loop Tie in ski school, ticketing, restrooms, small lodges, operations buildings.

Phase 3 – Full Resort Energy Network 

Integrate:

• snowmaking heat

• wastewater heat

• geothermal boreholes

• data-center cooling waste (if built on-site)

Phase 4 – Town-Resort Hybrid System Align with municipal wastewater treatment or snowmelt runoff systems.