Deployment from Winterberg to "the other end of the world"
Passion for snow and winter sports. An interest in technology and a sense of sustainability. Jonas Sögtrop saw his chance and seized it. He is the only service technician in Germany for TechnoAlpin, the world market leader for snowmaking systems. From his home office in Winterberg, he has already looked after ski resorts as far afield as the Alps and has even worked in Australia.
Whenever it gets cold, his mobile phone rings, emails come in and his Messenger never stops. "That's when it's best to have three of me," laughs Jonas. Because that's when the ski resorts find out whether the lifts are running - or not.
Quick help thanks to digital technology and short distances
The service technician can do a lot from home. Thanks to good networking and digital data exchange, they have access to all important information, can carry out remote maintenance and have access to the settings. Since 2010, a German TechnoAlpin service centre has been established in Winterberg. The most important spare parts are in stock. Digital technology makes travelling to all ski resorts quick and easy.
But often there is no way around being on site and inspecting the lifts yourself. There is hardly a worse scenario for a lift operator than when the longed-for cold weather finally arrives and snow production comes to a standstill. Then everything has to happen quickly. Troubleshooting. Every minute counts. Jonas checks remotely, provides tips and instructions, orders spare parts and, if required, can even drive out to install them.
You can't do without service. Systems that are serviced regularly are less prone to faults. And, most importantly, they consume less energy and fewer resources. "Without maintenance, a snowmaking system would steadily lose efficiency and come to a complete standstill after a short time." Regular care, the right settings and good, dry storage in summer, on the other hand, significantly increase the service life and snowmaking results.
Ongoing professional development
Jonas originally trained as an electrician and thus acquired important basic knowledge. After passing his exams, he took on a part-time job as a snowmaker at the Winterberg ski lift carousel. "It has a lot to do with electrical engineering and computer-controlled processes, and that's where I gained my practical experience in snow production," emphasises the Winterberg native. "I then noticed a job advert from TechnoAlpin for a service technician for the German low mountain range"
He applied and was hired straight away, as some of the South Tyrolean company's most important German customers are based in the Sauerland region. After his induction in Bolzano, he attended many training courses and is currently undergoing further training. Because technology is advancing. He usually works in the German low mountain ranges, but occasionally also in the Alps. But not often, because the distances from Salzburg or Innsbruck are shorter in these cases.
With 2,400 customers in 55 countries, TechnoAlpin is the world market leader in the manufacture of snowmaking systems. The majority of snow guns in Germany, including in the Sauerland region, are from TechnoAlpin. The yellow fan guns, commonly known as "snow cannons", are installed every 50 metres in the large ski resorts. In some cases, there are also snow lances up to nine metres high.
Sustainability plays a central role
Snow is a valuable resource and snowmaking is an ongoing development process in which sustainability plays a special role. The central topics: How can we produce more snow with less energy? How much snow is really needed? These questions cannot be answered in isolation. The best results are achieved by overarching, coordinated processes between the various products involved in snow management and their manufacturers.
With Snowmaster, TechnoAlpin supplies software that provides lift operators with a decision-making basis for snow production. Taking into account detailed weather forecasts and the previous year's data, the app predicts the possible amount of snow to be produced and the amount of water required in the coming days.
Other systems from other manufacturers also come into action. Modern piste rollers are equipped with systems that send signals to a satellite using GPS. These are analysed in the ski resort's data centre and compared with a previously created ground relief. This makes it clear how much snow is available where and where more is needed.
Ergänzend treten weitere Systeme anderer Hersteller in Aktion. An modernen Pistenwalzen befinden sich Systeme, die mittels GPS Signale zu einem Satelliten senden. In der Datenzentrale des Skigebiets werden diese ausgewertet, mit einem zuvor angefertigten Boden-Relief abgeglichen. So wird deutlich, wie viel Schnee wo vorhanden ist und wo noch welcher benötigt wird.
By combining all the data, an information base is created that makes it possible to produce exactly the amount of snow required for safe piste operation. Not too much and not too little. More than 10 per cent of energy can be saved as a result. TechnoAlpin is responsible for data collection, bundling, evaluation and visualisation.
Less energy, water and material
It is not only energy that needs to be saved, the water balance also needs to be optimally managed. During snowmaking, clear water without additives is transformed into snow crystals and returns to the natural water cycle unpolluted when the snow melts. However, the capacity of the storage ponds is limited. The less water is needed thanks to ingenious nozzle technology, the better.
The longevity of the equipment, the low susceptibility of the material to wear and tear and the refurbishment of older snow guns to bring them up to current standards - sustainability is a recurring theme throughout the entire snowmaking process. "TechnoAlpin invests several million euros a year in research into innovations to increase efficiency. More than half of our international patents are directly related to sustainability," says the technician. The result: compared to the standard 15 years ago, modern fan guns now produce around 15 per cent more snow with the same amount of energy.
Save energy through correct maintenance
The research and development department is not only constantly bringing new machines onto the market, but also ensures that older appliances meet today's requirements through hardware updates. After all, despite all the increases in efficiency, it is often more sustainable to maintain them than to replace them. "By replacing a lance head, it is possible to save up to 70 per cent energy in some cases." When Jonas looks at the systems, he draws customers' attention to these possibilities. "Some machines really grow on you - even if it's often more of a love-hate relationship when it's minus 10 degrees outside," laughs the technician, referring to a 30-year-old fan gun that is still working perfectly on the Poppenberg in Winterberg.
For Jonas Sögtrop, it's hard to imagine the Sauerland without winter sports. "I grew up on alpine skis, ski jumps and cross-country skis and later learnt how to snowboard at the Kappe." This is part of the tradition and identity in Winterberg. Most children can stand on skis shortly after they have learnt to walk. Jonas is no exception. He learnt to ski at the Herrlohl lift, where his father sold tickets in the lift cabin. When the conditions are good, he does a few runs on the slalom slope early in the morning before work in winter."Apart from that, I'm constantly exploring new regions in the Alps and like to add a day or two to business trips, which I then enjoy on the 'big' mountains."
Electricity from renewable energies for snow production
And climate change? "As icy cold weather from Siberia keeps reaching the Sauerland, it will still be possible to operate the snowmaking systems in a way that conserves resources." This is the principle of technical snowmaking: using cold weather phases to produce snow and thus ensure skiing in mild phases. "I'm pleased that almost all of our customers, including those in the Sauerland region, operate their systems with electricity generated from renewable energy sources."
Things are much more relaxed in summer than in winter. Then there is time compensation: overtime is reduced. The turbines are overhauled one after the other. This is a time when it can also happen that the Winterberger is deployed "on the other side of the world". Because then it's winter in Australia. In late summer, things really get going again: putting new systems into operation, testing machines at plus temperatures - even if only water comes out - and later making snow at sub-zero temperatures. Because: After the winter is before the winter!