Graphet facilitates a premier ski resort to cut energy waste, boost performance, and earn a sustainability award
The Challenge
From Efficiency Claims to Data Backed Certainty
Copper Mountain, part of the POWDR Corporation, is one of Colorado’s premier ski resorts, hosting hundreds of thousands of guests each season. As a large-scale energy operator, the resort has long invested in efficient, reliable operations while keeping guest experience front and center. As energy costs rose and sustainability goals expanded, ski lifts—one of the resort’s largest energy intensive systems, became a critical focus.
The resort had already upgraded to newer lift systems designed to be more efficient, responsive, and sustainable. The operations team believed in the technology, but needed a way to both validate performance and understand how operational choices affected efficiency in practice.
To inform operational and investment decisions, the Copper Mountain needed objective answers to:
- Were newer lift systems delivering real efficiency gains?
- How did ridership and operations drive energy demand to inform operational efficiency?
- Where could operations reduce energy without affecting reliability?
- How could future investments and rebates be justified with data?
Graphet’s Role
Turning Visibility Gaps into Measurable Results
No resort had ever systematically measured lift energy use over time under real operating conditions, Graphet turned that challenge into measurable results. That work directly enabled the outcomes below.
The Approach Behind the Results
A Benchmarking Framework That Makes Real Data Actionable
To bring this vision to life, Graphet partnered closely with Copper Mountain, working as an extension of their team. Graphet took immediate steps to capture and analyze lift performance data, translating raw measurements into actionable insights the team could apply in day-to-day decision-making.
As a first step, we collected time-based performance data to understand how energy use varied with ridership, operating patterns, and daily startup behavior. Graphet then analyzed the data using various usage patterns, and created a custom designed framework to clarify how different factors contributed to overall energy demand.
Graphet measured:
- Baseload energy consumption from fixed mechanical and system operation
- Variable, ridership-driven energy consumption shaped by load, speed, elevation, and operating behavior
This made lift efficiency measurable, comparable, and actionable, revealing where energy was being used, why it mattered, and what changes would have the greatest impact. By turning data into clear benchmarks, we gave Copper the confidence to validate performance and make better investment decisions.
The Graphet Difference
A Strategic Partner That Drives Action
Graphet went beyond data collection to provide clarity and confidence. Our precise measurement approach combined with operational expertise turned complex data into clear, actionable strategies. For Copper Mountain, we were a trusted partner who helped them optimize lift operations, prioritize investments, and advance sustainability goals with confidence.
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Why This Matters?
For Copper Mountain, this work delivered clarity they could trust, built through close partnership and grounded in real operational data, producing results recognized with an industry sustainability award.
With Graphet’s partnership driven, data driven approach, we help teams uncover meaningful efficiency opportunities across complex, energy intensive operations.