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LIKE ANY BUSINESS, AMUSEMENT PARKS TOO ARE REQUIRED TO BECOME CARBON NEUTRAL. MANY PARKS HAVE ALREADY INVESTED IN SOLAR AND WIND ENERGY. BUT THERE IS ANOTHER OPTION THAT IS BECOMING RELEVANT, ESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF THE EMBARGO ON GAS FROM RUSSIA: HYDROGEN
GOODBYE DIESEL. WELCOME ELECTRIC, HYDROGEN OR BOTH? BY
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alifornia’s Great America, a popular amusement park in Santa Clara, plans to power its facilities with wind energy purchased from an offsite provider. In Florida, the Walt Disney World Resort has built a large ground-based solar array shaped like Mickey ears. At Hersheypark in Pennsylvania an 80-foot wind turbine both produces power and promotes renewable energy to visitors. And across the Atlantic, in Wales, Green Wood Forest Park is 100 percent powered by renewable energy. Like many businesses, amusement parks too need to become carbon free by generating 100 percent of the electricity needs from renewable energy sources. The examples mentioned show that solar and wind energy are the solutions already implemented in many large parks, especially in California, where the sun is abundant, but also the utility rates are among the most expensive in the country. Amusement parks need a lot of energy to power rides, lights, concessions and offices especially during the peak summer season, when attendance reaches its highest levels. Rides in particular tend to be at their busiest in the middle of the afternoon when the sun is the brightest. This means that solar panels become the first energy of choice as they can collect and generate the most power when
GAMES & PARKS INDUSTRY / APRIL 2022
Come ogni impresa, anche i parchi di divertimento sono tenuti alla neutralità carbonica. Molti di loro hanno già investito nell’energia solare ed eolica. Ma c’è un’altra opzione che sta diventando rilevante, soprattutto in vista dell’embargo sul gas dalla Russia: l’idrogeno ADDIO DIESEL, BENVENUTO ELETTRICO, IDROGENO O ENTRAMBI? di Domenico Matarazzo Il California’s Great America, un popolare parco di divertimenti di Santa Clara, prevede di alimentare le sue strutture con energia eolica acquistata da un fornitore esterno. In Florida, il Walt Disney World Resort ha costruito un grande impianto solare, i cui pannelli sono disposti in modo tale che visti dall’alto, formano le grandi orecchie di Topolino. All’Hersheypark, in Pennsylvania, una turbina eolica alta circa 25 metri produce energia e promuove l’energia rinnovabile presso i visitatori. E dall’altra parte dell’Atlantico, nel Galles, il Green Wood Forest Park è alimentato al 100% da energie
