The Eiffel Tower installs renewable energy system
One of the world's most iconic sites has become the latest high profile venue to install onsite renewables
The Eiffel Tower introduced two vertical axis wind turbines as part of its high profile renewable transformation development.
Urban Green Energy (UGE), the US-based onsite renewables expert who added two vertical axis wind turbines to the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, announced that the turbines are capable of delivering 10,000kWh of electricity annually, equivalent to the power used by the commercial areas on the Eiffel Tower's first floor.
The company said the two ‘UGE VisionAIR5’ are "virtually silent" and have been painted to match the rest of the tower.
It added that the site for the turbines 400 feet above the ground had been strategically selected to enhance energy production and for the turbines to benefit from the steady winds.
Vertical axis wind turbines tend to deliver lower outputs in comparison to conventional turbines, but they are designed to operate in urban areas where winds tend to be less predictable and can come from multiple directions.
Chief executive of UGE Nick Blitterswyk said: "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. 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. Energy efficient LED lights have also been fitted and a 10 metre squared solar thermal arrangement that will provide around half of the hot water needs of the site's two pavilions.
In addition, a rainwater recovery system has been installed as well as heat pumps to warm up the facilities.
