History Main / SolarPunk

* ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'' has some Solarpunk elements to it, being set in a high-tech, egalitarian version of San Francisco that [[{{Americasia}} blends American and Japanese architecture]]. Much of the technology is very Solarpunk in nature, emphasizing clean energy and societal improvement with things like flying wind-power generators or robotic nurses. The "subverting the system" part, however, gets some {{Deconstruction}}, as [[spoiler:the CorruptCorporateExecutive turns out to actually just be a normal guy guilty of nothing more than [[ATragedyOfImpulsiveness foolishly rushing an experiment]], and the protagonists are put on [[RedHerring the wrong trail]] expressly because of [[ConfirmationBias their bias against him]]. Meanwhile, the real BigBad is the sort of angry, anti-corporate rebel most Solarpunk stories would ''support'', except that [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist he rebels not from genuine moral outrage, but out of vengeful spite over the accidental loss of his daughter]].]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'' has some Solarpunk elements to it, being set in a high-tech, egalitarian version of San Francisco that [[{{Americasia}} blends American and Japanese architecture]]. Much of the technology is very Solarpunk in nature, emphasizing clean energy and societal improvement with things like flying wind-power generators or robotic nurses. The "subverting the system" part, however, gets some {{Deconstruction}}, as [[spoiler:the CorruptCorporateExectutive turns out to actually just be a normal guy guilty of nothing more than [[ATragedyOfImpulsiveness foolishly rushing an experiment]], and the protagonists are put on [[RedHerring the wrong trail]] expressly because of [[ConfirmationBias their bias against him]]. Meanwhile, the real BigBad is the sort of angry, anti-corporate rebel most Solarpunk stories would ''support'', except that [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist he rebels not from genuine moral outrage, but out of vengeful spite over the accidental loss of his daughter]].]]

* The ''Monk and Robot'' duology by Creator/BeckyChambers was commissioned as a set of solarpunk novellas. It takes place on the moon Panga which was converted to a completely sustainable and pollution free environment in a period called "the Transition". All energy is wind, solar, or man-made, materials are made to either be recyclable or biodegradeable, a new economic system based on "pebs" ensures NoPoverty and much of the moon has been rewilded. The ArcWords of the series are "What do humans need?" and how to answer that question in a post-scarcity society.

* As an AffectionateParody of ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' below, ''VideoGame/{{Palworld}}'' takes place on an archipelago isolated from the rest of mankind with light industry, powered either through mundane renewable resources or {{mons}}, but also vast swaths of virtually untouched nature in between. However, for the sake of BlackComedy it takes the social anarchist tendencies of solarpunk to their natural conclusion by offering many opportunities to [[VideoGameCrueltyPotentual cruelly exploit]] your Pals for fun and profit.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'':
** The city state of Gridania and surrounding settlements follow this trope to the letter, down to the natural looking Art Deco buildings blending into the hills and the forest that surrounds the area. (The forest is aptly named the Black Shroud as the trees are so massive they can completely block the light from reaching the ground.) Gridania's main source of energy is a group of massive waterwheels fed by the multiple rivers surrounding the city.
** However, this is an EnforcedTrope as the elementals that guard the Black Shroud will destroy the city if anyone dares overstep the line. (It already happened in the past, when the first Hyur and Elezen attempted to settle there, being forced underground to escape the vengeance of the Elementals.) Specially attuned Hyur known as Padjal are speakers for the Elementals, keeping their wrath at bay while enforcing their orders to appease them, which can sometimes appear as draconic. For example, while hunting for food is acceptable and profitable to the city due to its leatherworking industry, poaching is punishable by death.
** It's also notable that of the three main city states, Gridania is the one holding the line against the invasion of the expansionist and villainous Garlean Empire and their {{Magitek}} weapons.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' is a version of this. There's light industry, powered either through mundane renewable resources or Pokémon, but also vast swaths of virtually untouched nature in between. The most popular form of travel besides the Pokémon themselves is the bicycle.

** [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Fortree City]] is also a good representative of Solar Punk's aesthetic, being a small city built completely in the woods to the point that many of them live in tree houses connected via wooden bridges crossing the city. The entire city is completely green, just like the best Solar Punk imagery. It doesn't meet the sci-fi technology aspect of Solar Punk though, leaning a bit too heavily on the rustic side.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_river__ver__2__by_owen_c.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Green cities and gorgeous design? Yeah. The future is gonna be awesome. [[http://owen-c.deviantart.com/art/The-River-ver-2-153944794 Drawing by Owen C]]]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS-sJQkr0H4 This Chobani commercial]] features an advanced, futuristic society in which technology and nature exist in harmony with each other.

Compare to PastoralScienceFiction. In some ways Solarpunk has looped back to a version of the CrystalSpiresAndTogas that CyberPunk was originally rebelling against in the first place.

* ''Manga/YokohamaKaidashiKikou'' combines this with CosyCatastrophe. Humanity is [[AfterTheEnd declining into extinction and society has collapsed]], but all the violence and noise associated with such an event has long passed, leaving a quiet, egalitarian countryside where advanced technology like RidiculouslyHumanRobots is used mostly for recreation, nature is reclaiming the land, and the dwindling population lives in peace and moderate comfort.

* In the first storyline of ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' SpinOff ''The Dreaming'', Cain and Abel visit various utopian realms including "Ecotopia", a high-tech world based on windmills and solar towers, and blending into the countryside.
* ''ComicBook/XenozoicTales'' is a predecessor to the genre, with a [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic]] but [[WorldHalfFull pretty okay]] world and themes of balancing technology with nature, spirituality, and rebellion against political corruption.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{WinxClub}}'': have some traits of this trope: most of the cities in the magical dimension seems to work like this thanks to their magitek with Linphea, Flora's kingdom, being a noticeable example.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}''is a subversion. The city of Zootopia itself appears to fit the aesthetic to Judy on her approach, with its beautiful architecture, sprawling design and districts environmentally controlled through advanced civil engineering. However, Judy discovers upon moving there that the city is actually just a standard city with a few green trappings, with a corrupt capitalistic democracy that systemically supports prejudice, stereotyping and political corruption. It just doesn't look that way from the outside.

* ''Film/BlackPanther2018'': Wakanda is an [[{{Afrofuturism}} Afrofuturist]] paradise, thanks to its abundance of [[AppliedPhlebotinum vibranium]]. The major conflict of the movie boils down to whether Wakanda should be doing more to share their resources and technology to help the world, which they [[spoiler:ultimately opt to do]]. The design of Wakanda has many elements commonly seen in solarpunk, such as vertical gardens, renewable and nonpolluting energy in the form of vibranium, and high tech in naturalistic and simple forms. ({{Afrofuturism}} and Solarpunk as movements are quite friendly due to the mutual focus on better, more equal, and diverse futures and often share themes or outright crossover.)
* ''Film/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness'': Earth 838 has this aesthetic, with a much lighter and airier feel than the main Earth 616. This version of New York is full of buildings covered in growing plantlife with sidewalks that are wide and paved with grassy areas to walk on. This is likely a case of AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': The city of Zootopia itself fits the aesthetic with its beautiful architecture, sprawling design and districts environmentally controlled through advanced civil engineering. Although the perfect {{utopia}}n aspect of this trope is somewhat {{subverted}}, as it turns out to be [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome a real city with real social issues like prejudice, stereotyping and political corruption.]]

Other aspects of Solarpunk include a quasi-{{Utopia}}n setting, usually TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, with the occasional CrystalSpiresAndTogas and even sometimes {{Beast M|an}}en ([[BioAugmentation Biologically]]/[[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke genetically engineered]] or not) to add weirdness or other unwanted proposed elements. Like the Tumblr community that fostered the genre, Solarpunk also tends to feature a high level of cultural awareness, gender equality, self-expression, and artfulness. Likely to combine lighter and more utopic versions of [[BioPunk Biopunk]], [[OceanPunk Oceanpunk]] and [[TheSkyIsanOcean Skypunk]] themes, randomly set in the near/far future (rarely in the far past), with [[MagicalRealism realistic]] [[ScienceFantasy (sci-)fantastic]] elements. Solarpunk works usually believe in ScienceIsGood, as the marriage of nature and technology is what leads to such a utopic setting.