NZSki operates three South Island ski areas, including Mt Hutt. It's regularly one of the first ski fields in the southern hemisphere to open each season.
With a goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2030, the business has been working through a range of practical decarbonisation initiatives.
Having been a Certified Renewable Energy customer since 2023, NZSki has used the Business Decarbonisation Fund over multiple years to complete two significant projects at Mt Hutt.
The first was replacing the ski field's deep fryers. Mt Hutt is a serious food and beverage operation serving around 4,000 visitors a day during the season, and few things are as sought-after as hot chips on a cold day. The kitchens ran on LPG. At altitude and in cold temperatures, that meant heavy cylinders moving up and down an icy access road. As the fryers neared end of life, switching to electric made obvious sense. Through the Business Decarbonisation Fund, the upgrade was effectively cost-neutral.
The second project focused on staff accommodation in Methven: 25 cabins used by workers through the winter season. Rather than draw entirely from the grid, NZSki installed solar thermal panels capable of capturing around 80% of solar energy as heat, meaning staff can get hot water without adding pressure to the grid at peak times.
For NZSki, hitting their goal of carbon neutral by 2030 is about making one practical decision at a time.
