01-11-2017, 10:40 AM
It’s probably cheaper to operate a snow-melt system than it is to pay for salting even without accounting for the environmental impact of salt, and its destructive impact on the infrastructure. Probably the hydro to operate a system is cheaper than the labour of spreading salt.
For reference, these systems consume less than 50 watts per square foot, but are not continuously on- they have a snow sensor (which consumes very minimal power) that starts them up when there is actual snow cover. I have no idea how many hours a day they would need to operate in Waterloo Region, but it is not 24. Less than a kWh a day (likely a lot less) to keep each square foot of all of our 19 stations clear during winter would not be expensive compared to the cost of shoveling and salting the platforms, and probably more effective.
I think these systems could probably be justified even at high-volume bus stops, and I agree with danbrotherston that it’s a false economy not to invest in them, probably motivated by optics more than sober calculations.
For reference, these systems consume less than 50 watts per square foot, but are not continuously on- they have a snow sensor (which consumes very minimal power) that starts them up when there is actual snow cover. I have no idea how many hours a day they would need to operate in Waterloo Region, but it is not 24. Less than a kWh a day (likely a lot less) to keep each square foot of all of our 19 stations clear during winter would not be expensive compared to the cost of shoveling and salting the platforms, and probably more effective.
I think these systems could probably be justified even at high-volume bus stops, and I agree with danbrotherston that it’s a false economy not to invest in them, probably motivated by optics more than sober calculations.