{"id":29451,"date":"2024-10-11T09:43:39","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T07:43:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/?p=29451"},"modified":"2024-10-11T09:43:39","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T07:43:39","slug":"worlds-first-solar-powered-ferris-wheel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/11\/worlds-first-solar-powered-ferris-wheel\/","title":{"rendered":"World’s first solar-powered ferris wheel"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Harvey Wegener<\/em> is a third generation showman who has taken the traditional ferris wheel and re-invented it for today’s environment – high tech carbon neutral and with a stunning LED light show.<\/p>\n

Billed as the first solar-powered Ferris Wheel in the world the Riesenrad Solar Wheel<\/a> took Harvey Wegener and his wife Emily three years to bring from the drawing board to reality. There were many muscle-aching trial builds along the way, but the result is a sustainably powered, 33 metre high fairground attraction – which you can rent for your event – and which can transported to site and built in less than eight hours.

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High energy rides like the ferris wheel are usually associated with the noise and fumes of a diesel generator, and although for safety reasons the equipment has to be connected to a secondary 20kW energy supply for emergency compliance, it’s no longer the case that a diesel generator must be banging away!<\/p>\n

With 54kWp of solar panels mounted in every available location, and over 200 kWh of Lithium battery storage the ride can run autonomously late into the night.<\/p>\n

Gondolas, waiting area, checkout, railings and back wall are all equipped with solar panels.”For example, we installed 36 panels in the waiting area alone, and 52 on the roofs of the 26 gondolas. \u00a0We have specially developed panels that are very thin and light for the gondola roofs.<\/em>” says Harvey Wegener.<\/p>\n

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Dussmann Industrial Automation GmbH<\/a>, who are based in Essen, Germany, were responsible for the electrical design, engineering, construction, commissioning and for providing support during the initial production start-up at the fairground in Geldern – using products from German mobile power specialist and product distributor Transwatt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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In the past it has not been possible to take such a powerful ride to locations which don’t have sufficient capacity on the electricity grid. That has changed with battery energy storage: in the North Sea Islands, for example, which can only offer a 16A connection, the grid can supply a steady source of energy for battery storage – including overnight and in the morning when the attraction is closed – and the three-phase inverters will run the wheel from battery storage combined with the limited grid current whenever the attraction is open.<\/p>\n

Harvey and Emily Wegener’s new green power supply allows them to take the fun of their road show almost anywhere!<\/p>\n

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Solar Power Priority<\/h4>\n

In fact the ride has been achieving greater than 80% sustainability since it began operation in May this year. One of the advantages of the work schedule of a fairground attraction is that the batteries can be charged using solar energy in the morning, when the ride is not yet open and also through the afternoon when visitors begin to arrive …the panels are still able to provide surplus energy to recharge the battery bank in time for a busy evening when it’s dark and the real fun starts!<\/p>\n

In operation the attraction has shown itself capable of running mains-free for up to 10 hours in the dark.<\/p>\n

What’s in the power container?<\/h4>\n