Here comes the sun! Val d'Isere rolls out new solar cannons to illuminate ski slopes

Love them or loathe them, the invention of the snow cannon has transformed ski holidays, guaranteeing powder-soft slopes every day even when there is not a cloud in the sky.

Helping hand: Snow cannons are already widely used to boost the amount of snow on slopes

Bright lights: The solar canons will help illuminate the slopes in bad weather

So ski resorts have started to look at the other inconveniences they can eliminate to create the perfect winter holiday and the latest technological advancement is the solar cannon.
Val D'Isere, one of the most popular ski resorts in France, has splashed out on a set of the sunshine-makers to ensure that holidaymakers have good visibility when plunging down red and black runs.
The new technology will be tested by the resort this year and is designed to improve conditions when light is flat - which can lead to accidents as skiers can't easily pick out lumps and bumps in the snow or slight drops in the slope.
The cannons will only be used in the busiest areas of the resort and are not designed to work as floodlights, or to create more sunshine.
Experts say they will simply maximise solar conditions, helping to use the existing light and reflect it to better illuminate the runs.
If the trial is successful, Val d'Isere and other resorts could roll out more of the new cannons for future seasons.