EIFFEL TOWER INSTALLS WIND TURBINES

Installed by New York company Urban Green Energy, the turbines are located 120 metres off the ground and are capable of capturing wind from any direction. They are already producing 10,000 kWh of electricity per year, which is enough to power the Eiffel Tower's commercial first floor area.

The newly installed turbines are barely visible, lost amid the lattice maze of iron that holds everything together. Up close, they are sloped, smooth and elegant, unlike the utilitarian propellers usually associated with wind power installations.

“The Eiffel tower is arguably the most renowned architectural icon in the world, and we are proud that our advanced technology was chosen as the Tower commits to a more sustainable future,” Nick Blitterswyk, Chief Executive of Urban Green Energy commented. “When visitors from around the world see the wind turbines, we get one step closer to a world powered by clean and reliable renewable energy.”

The wind turbines form part of a major green retrofit project for the Eiffel Tower, which has seen it also install energy efficient LED lights, heat pumps and a rainwater recovery system.