Since 1988, residents and visitors have enjoyed snow-free streets and sidewalks in downtown Holland, Mich., throughout the winter season. Thanks to the Holland BPW snowmelt system, waste heat from power generation is captured to heat water, which is circulated through 190 miles of tubing laid underneath the pavement and sidewalks back to the Holland BPW power plant. The system pumps over 4,700 gallons of water per minute at 95º F and can melt about an inch of snow per hour at 20º F with winds of 10 mph. The snowmelt system is a closed system, meaning it circulates the same water over and over again. Prior to 2016, the system pulled water from Lake Macatawa, but using potable water, the system is less likely to have sediment and should reduce wear on system valves. Added benefits include no salting, no plowing, no slipping and no sliding. It’s the largest publicly-owned snowmelt system in North America.
If You Don’t Want to Be Bothered With Snowy Streets and Sidewalks, You Need to Move to Holland, Michigan
Since 1988, residents and visitors have enjoyed snow-free streets and sidewalks in downtown Holland, Mich., throughout the winter season. Thanks to the Holland BPW snowmelt system, waste heat from power generation is captured to heat water, which is circulated through 190 miles of tubing laid underneath the pavement and sidewalks back to the Holland BPW power plant. The system pumps over 4,700 gallons of water per minute at 95º F and can melt about an inch of snow per hour at 20º F with winds of 10 mph. The snowmelt system is a closed system, meaning it circulates the same water over and over again. Prior to 2016, the system pulled water from Lake Macatawa, but using potable water, the system is less likely to have sediment and should reduce wear on system valves. Added benefits include no salting, no plowing, no slipping and no sliding. It’s the largest publicly-owned snowmelt system in North America.