No business like snow business

Popular Science highlighted research from UBC’s Okanagan campus that found buildings could cool their air more efficiently using snow.

The researchers ran an apartment building’s air supply through a pile of snow, lowering the temperature with no associated cost.

“Snow is not a waste, but a resource,’’ said Kasun Hewage, an engineering professor and one of the study authors. “With temperatures rising in many areas, and with them, air conditioning bills, we as societies are increasingly looking at resources and materials differently. Snow has traditionally been seen as a costly form of waste… instead of being seen as a potential source of energy and cost savings.’’