The Eiffel tower in Paris, one of the world's most iconic monuments, has recently made one more step in its major green retrofit project.

Two vertical axis wind turbines were installed on the tower by UGE International Ltd., in partnership with the Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), as part of a high-profile renovation and upgrade to the first floor of the monument. The two turbines are designed to capture wind from any direction and are able to deliver 10,000kWh of electricity annually, equivalent to the power used by the commercial areas on the Eiffel tower's first floor.

The Eiffel Tower's wind turbines were painted the same color of the other parts of the tower, are virtually silent and are placed 120m above ground level, where they can take advantage of the more steady winds found at that height, thus maximizing energy production.

The clean energy produced by the turbines will further reduce the tower's carbon footprint, adding to the other green solutions adopted so far (LED lights, solar panels and heat pumps). Moreover, the turbines will be visible to the millions of tourists visiting the monument every year, reminding them that a cleaner and renewable energy is already at hand.

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