Ideas
Explore the world's #1 largest database of ideas and innovations, with 478,618 inspiring examples.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,287 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 104,870 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Consumer Insights
Uncover major shifts and emerging opportunities with our exclusive PRO research.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,287 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 104,870 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Trend Reports
Get fast, customized trend reports, presentations and deep dives 20x faster than traditional research.
Plans
Get started today with a free consultation, our self-serve tools, or a dedicated program.
Articles & Magazine
Get inspired with our 4,232 innovation strategy articles, keynote, videos and innovation tools.
Innovation Awards
Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Innovation Assessment
Enhance your innovation potential with a deeper understanding of your unique innovation archetype and how your organization benchmarks.
FuturistU
Prepare for the years ahead with 100+ lessons, tactics, tools and frameworks with our full learning database.
Innovation Books
Join 20,000,000 people getting better and faster with our New York Times Bestselling books and keynote videos.
Jeremy Gutsche
Ignite your event or virtual event with our CEO, a NY Times Bestselling Author and one of the top innovation keynote speakers.
Our Team of Speakers & Virtual Presenters
Inspire your group with our most popular speakers on innovation, trends, change and futurism.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Custom Masterclasses
Join the world's leading brands who leverage our custom programs to accelerate innovation.
FuturistU 5-Day Program
Become a Futurist with our immersive 5-Day program at Future Festival World Summit.
Online eLearning
Learn the fundamentals of futurism and trends with 100+ online courses about innovation.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Contact
Get in touch to learn more, ask a question or submit a tip.
About Us
Learn more about Trend Hunter and how we accelerate innovation.
Follow-Us
Join our 3,500,000 social media followers, on the cutting edge.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Trend Hunter.
Community
Stay on the cutting-edge with the help of the Trend Hunter community.
Team
Meet the team trusted by hundreds of leading businesses worldwide.
Jobs
Find opportunities to accelerate your career with the #1 Trend Firm.
News
Catch up on noteworthy Trend Hunter news and media mentions.
Join
Build a portfolio and put your trend-spotting abilities to the test.
Advertising
Supercharge your marketing by partnering with Trend Hunter.
Portfolio
Visit your public portfolio and browse your past articles.
Add a Trend
Write up an article and showcase your trend-spotting skills.
My Trends
Edit your articles and see how they stack up on the leaderboards.
Settings
Edit your profile, connect your social media accounts, and more.
Add a trend, customize your dashboard, or track topics.
Future Festival
Innovation Events
Join the world's top innovators at our in person events.
Free Webinars
Learn to innovate through chaos, navigate the new normal and maintain work culture from home.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Search our database of 478,618 cutting edge ideas.

Solar-Powered Carousels

Clean the Sky - Positive Eco Trends & Breakthroughs

The GE SXSW Merry-Go-Round is a Sun-Soaking Attraction

— March 22, 2011 — Eco
Carnivals of your youth may have been a good time, but they're still showy electricity exploiters. The GE SXSW Merry-Go-Round, however, introduces a new way for a carousel to operate without guzzling valuable resources.

General Electric's pavilion at the South by Southwest Conference introduced this refurbished 1926 children's ride and replaced its internal engine with an electric motor, fed by cutting-edge, thin-film solar panels. Incorporating ecomagination technology, the company's demonstrated how simply such machines can be controlled using renewable resources. The solar cells that run the carousel could be found lining the adjacent lounge, equipped with enough extra juice left over to charge visitors' cellphones.

The GE SXSW Merry-Go-Round is a flashy exhibit of a technology that yields the lowest carbon footprint of any existing solar panel system, topped with GE Tetra Contour LED lights.
Trend Themes
1. Renewable Energy-powered Attractions - Implementing renewable energy sources in traditional attractions like carousels creates environmentally friendly and sustainable entertainment experiences.
2. Eco-friendly Technology Integration - Incorporating cutting-edge technology, such as thin-film solar panels and LED lights, into existing infrastructure reduces energy consumption and promotes sustainable practices.
3. Energy-efficient Resource Utilization - Optimizing the use of renewable resources like solar power in everyday activities, such as charging cellphones, demonstrates the potential for widespread energy efficiency.
Industry Implications
1. Amusement Parks - Amusement parks can adopt solar-powered attractions to reduce their environmental impact and attract eco-conscious visitors.
2. Renewable Energy - The renewable energy industry can explore opportunities to integrate solar panels and other renewable technologies into various recreational and entertainment applications.
3. Smart Lighting Solutions - Companies specializing in LED lights and smart lighting solutions can collaborate with retrofitting projects to enhance energy efficiency in existing amusement park infrastructures.
3.8
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness