The Eiffel Tower darkens an hour earlier – Here’s why

Starting next week, the Eiffel Tower will turn off its lights an hour earlier to save energy.

The iconic tower will now turn off its lights at 11:45 p.m., Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted, as part of a citywide energy saving plan. The new lights-out time coincides with the time the tower usually closes to visitors, ceasing admission at 10:45 p.m. and closing an hour later, according to the landmark.

However, the tower usually stays lit until 1am, with floodlights automatically triggered by night sensors.

The new measures will take effect on September 23, the Associated Press reported, noting that the change is partly due to the war in Ukraine.

“The energy crisis is hitting Paris like the rest of France. We did not wait to act, since 2014 we have invested 10 billion euros in the ecological transition,” added Hidalgo. posted on social media. “But we have to go further with the first measures to make 10% energy savings.”

In addition to turning off the lights of the Eiffel Tower, Paris will require all municipal buildings (like the City Hall) to turn off their lights by 10 p.m. Hidalgo said public lighting throughout the city will remain on “to continue to keep Parisians safe”. ”

Hidalgo told the AP that the measures were “a symbolic, but important step.”

The Eiffel Tower has been welcoming visitors to see it lit up at night with its current system since the 1980s, with the twinkling lights delighting onlookers since 2000, according to the monument. The tower also features a beacon consisting of four motorized searchlights with a range of 50 miles.

In 2019, the four 2000W projectors that lit the antenna were replaced by LED versions.

Visitors will still be able to see the light display, which automatically turns on when it gets dark, but for one hour less.

Paris is not the only city in Europe to impose energy saving measures in recent months. In August, Spain set strict limits on air conditioning in shops and other places, requiring businesses and buildings to keep their thermostats between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit and asking businesses to leave doors and windows closed afterwards. 22 hours.