The Holland Board of Public Works (HBPW) provides a "snow melt" system for the streets and sidewalks of downtown Holland during the winter months. The heated water for the miles of tubing laid underneath the pavement and sidewalks comes from the James DeYoung power plant located on Pine Avenue.  Currently, the Unit 3 electric generator sheds waste heat into the condenser water used to cool the unit. In the winter, this water with excess waste heat is directed to the snow melt system before being discharged into Lake Macatawa.

Installation of Snowmelt on 8th Street at Marketplace

Much of the snowmelt system was installed in 1988 during the reconstruction of the downtown streets and sidewalks.  This project, known as "streetscape", was already planned to spruce up the downtown with additional parking, attractive lighting, seating, flower boxes, etc.  A large private donation got the snowmelt portion of the project off its feet and the piping and tubing were installed while the streets and sidewalks were torn up.

The system can melt approximately 1 inch of snow per hour at 15-20 degrees F.  Windy conditions may slow the process, but for the most part, the system works just as designed.  The heated streets of downtown Holland give a unique shopping experience for Holland residents and out-of town visitors!

Added benefits include no salting, no plowing, no slipping or sliding, no track-in to store carpeting, and the sidewalk bricks are not prone to frost heave throughout the winter months.

The system has been expanded several times since 1988, to include the market area by the Civic Center, the sidewalks to Herrick Library, and most recently to heat the ramps to the parking deck on 7th Street. This brings the total area coverage to approximately 10.5 acres of heated sidewalks and streets! 

The system has a limited capacity and we are closing in on that capacity.  However, a proposed expansion of the James DeYoung power plant would support further expansion of the snow melt system in downtown Holland.