SnowWorld: from obligation to driver of sustainability

Energy-intensive operations require insight and control

SnowWorld, the Netherlands’ largest indoor ski resort operator, welcomes visitors every day across six locations for skiing, snowboarding, climbing adventures and après-ski experiences. Behind the scenes, however, maintaining year-round snow conditions requires highly energy-intensive operations.

The organisation faced a dual challenge: complying with the mandatory European Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) audit requirements while gaining greater insight into its actual energy consumption. Although SnowWorld had already launched several sustainability initiatives, it lacked the specialised in-house energy expertise and available resources to manage the process effectively. In addition, EED legislation requires companies to implement energy-saving measures with a positive business case, making compliance essential to avoid significant financial penalties.

The challenge was further complicated by the fact that SnowWorld operates six locations across the Netherlands, five of which share similar large-scale cooling installations. SnowWorld therefore sought a single expert partner capable of coordinating the entire process, conducting audits, consolidating data and identifying concrete, financially viable energy-saving opportunities.

One smart approach, maximum impact

Encon developed an integrated and scalable approach that addressed SnowWorld’s need for speed, clarity and expertise.

• Efficient audit approach
  All six sites were audited in just three days. Thanks to the similarities between the locations, identified measures could easily be replicated and adapted across multiple sites.
• Centralised data collection
  Energy and CO₂ data from various sources were consolidated, including information already collected centrally by SnowWorld. This created a complete overview of energy performance and immediately improved reporting efficiency.
• In-depth technical analysis
  Our experts identified several high-impact opportunities, including:
• • Replacing outdated compressors with energy-efficient models equipped with variable-speed drives.
  • Optimising condenser cooling based on outdoor temperature conditions.
  • Integrating heat pumps to recover waste heat from cooling systems, creating a pathway towards gas-free operations at several locations.
• Knowledge sharing and alignment
  All recommendations were presented during a joint workshop, allowing technical managers from different sites to exchange experiences and share best practices.
• Compliance and reporting
  A comprehensive EED report was prepared for each location, complemented by an overarching report and feedback sessions. All identified measures were also incorporated into SnowWorld’s CO₂ reduction roadmap.

Tot 30% minder energieverbruik en EED-compliant 

Onze aanpak zorgde ervoor dat SnowWorld niet alleen tijdig en efficiënt voldeed aan de EED-verplichtingen, maar ook een duidelijke route kreeg naar structurele energiebesparing.

• Volledige EED-compliance, zonder interne tijdsdruk of complexiteit.
• Bevestiging én versterking van hun lopende duurzaamheidsprojecten, met exacte borging en kwantificering van de besparingen.
• Tot 30% minder elektriciteitsverbruik dankzij het optimaliseren en vernieuwen van koelinstallaties—goed voor maar liefst 50% besparing op deze installaties zelf.
• Grote stap richting fossielvrij door warmtepompintegratie, waardoor sommige locaties quasi onafhankelijk kunnen worden van aardgas.