Iconic buildings get green makeover

An artists impression of how Tower Bridge in London will look once it has been retrofitted with a new low-energy LED lighting system.

Solar panels shimmer in the sunlight in front of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. One thousand photovoltaic panels cover the roof of the Paul VI Audience Hall that generate enough electricity to meet all heating, lighting and cooling requirements of the 6,300 seat venue.

A project to retrofit the Empire State building in New York began in 2009. All 6,500 windows of the skyscraper are being replaced while the building's air conditioning and lighting systems are also being upgraded. It's expected to reduce energy use by over 35%.

The air conditioning system in the Sydney Opera House has been adapted to utilize sea water from the surrounding harbour.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris has reduced its energy consumption with a low energy LED lighting system. This artists impression however envisions further carbon reductions by growing 600,000 plants on the world famous structure. The company behind the project claims that 87 tons of CO2 could be removed from the Paris sky each year.

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(CNN) -- One of London's most iconic landmarks is being given a green energy makeover as part of the city's preparations to host the most environmentally friendly Olympic Games in history.

Tower Bridge, which has spanned the River Thames for over 100 years, is being retrofitted with an LED lighting system that will reduce the structure's energy consumption by 40%, according to the City of London.

The project will be completed by the start of this summer's sporting extravaganza and will cut it's electricity bills, making the bridge cheaper to maintain and operate.

But while the new-look lighting will go some way to accentuating the structure's unmistakeable features, one green building expert believes retrofitting famous monuments can do more than just add to their aesthetic.

"These high profile projects can highlight the importance of retrofitting and cause people to think about installing renewable energy systems on the micro level," says John Alker, director of policy at the UK Green Building Council.

"Relatively speaking, Tower Bridge will save a small amount of energy but this could translate into a quite significant proportion if people can be persuaded to follow," he adds.

In recent years, other famous landmarks have adopted a similarly proactive approach to reducing their carbon output.

The Vatican City, the Empire State Building and the Sydney Opera House have all employed low-energy solutions in one form or another.

Alker is enthusiastic about the benefits of retrofitting famous landmarks, but warns that a balance must be found so that the integrity of historic buildings can be maintained.

"You have to be particularly sensitive, particularly to the facade of the building" he says.

"But in many cases much of what can be done -- like improving insulation, replacing windows and making air conditioning more efficient -- doesn't necessarily have to be visibly noticeable or negligible on the aesthetic value of the building," he adds.

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