The Eiffel Tower’s vertical axis wind turbines are virtually silent and designed to capture wind from any direction, offering a unique addition to the historic structure. The location for the wind turbines, 400ft (120m) above ground level, was strategically chosen to maximize energy production, allowing the wind turbines to harvest the steady winds at the height of the installation and offset the Tower’s energy usage. Mounting the turbines at this location was itself a technical challenge, requiring each component to be hoisted and suspended with ropes to the Tower’s second level.
“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,” said Nick Blitterswyk, CEO of UGE. “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.”
Although there is no ‘High Quality Environmental’ benchmark for the Eiffel Tower, one of the major goals of the face-lift was to achieve a significant reduction in its ecological footprint as part of the City of Paris Climate Plan.
In addition to wind energy, the renovation also includes LED lighting and 10 m² of roof-mounted solar panels on a visitor pavilion whose output will meet approximately 50% of the water heating needs of the two pavilions. High-performance heat pumps have also been installed to ensure a constantly balanced temperature. The two pavilions also have gained a rainwater recovery system that provides flushing water to the toilet facilities.
In addition to the Eiffel Tower, UGE has designed wind, solar and microgrid systems in more than 90 countries around the world for global brands including Whole Foods, Hilton, Dropbox and Verizon.
UGE (TSX VENTURE: UG) (OTCQB: UGEIF) is a leading developer of distributed renewable energy solutions for business and government clients with projects in over 90 countries, including several for Fortune 1,000 companies. Leveraging its proprietary technology platform, UGE deploys modular energy systems that solve clients’ challenges at the nexus of cost, resiliency and sustainability. From solar and wind systems, to microgrids and off-grid lighting, UGE is the solution provider of choice for commercial energy challenges.
The Eiffel Tower is owned by the City of Paris, and at the end of 2005, the city authority appointed the newly created public service authority SETE (Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel) to maintain and run the tower under a 10-year public service outsourcing contract.
Chaired by Paris Councillor Bernard Gaudillère and run by General Manager Eric Spitz, the SETE shareholding structure is as follows: City of Paris: 60%
DEXIA Crédit Local, Eiffage, Safidi SA (EDF Group), UFIPAR (LVMH Group), UNIBAIL and ODAMCO: 8% each, Paris Tourism and Congress Office: 0.01% (1 share). In 2013, the company reported annual revenue of EUR 73 million
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Statements made in this press release include forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management’s current expectations and assumptions.
A number of factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from the events, performance and results discussed in the forward-looking statements, such as the economy, generally, competition in its target markets, the demand for UGE’s products and the availability of funding.
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