Further work is required to improve the performance of the wind turbine, the electrical power conversion, reliability and overall economic viability. Small vertical axis wind turbines are not yet commercially available in any great number.

Similar ideas, for example, of increasing the solidity to improve performance, were arrived at quite independently by Musgrove and Mays (1978) and were subsequently developed to include the effects of low aspect ratio (1980).

The alternative ideas were presented at the 1st Wind Energy Workshop of the British Wind Energy Association, in 1979. It was felt that there were possible alternatives to the basic Musgrove design. In 1978 work was started on a vertical-axis turbine. The work on wind energy is complementary to the research work which is being carried out on solar energy. Both types of turbine are now well known in the field of wind energy research.Īt Napier College, work on wind energy has in the past, centred around student projects. Vertical axis wind turbines have been developed over recent years with a number of large Darrieus type turbines being built in America and with the Musgrove turbine being tested in England. Gair, in Energy for Rural and Island Communities: Proceedings of the Conference, Held at Inverness, Scotland, 22–24 September 1980, 1981 INTRODUCTION Until VAWTs become more cost-effective, it is unlikely that they will occupy a major presence as distributed generation in cities. The main reason these turbine designs are not as common as HAWTs today is that their lower efficiencies and relative costs hurt project economics ( Gipe, 2009). Most note that the designs are not new – Savonius and Darrieus – type VAWTs have been around for nearly 80 years ( Sagrillo, 2010). Finally, VAWTs are viewed as being more aesthetic and capable of being integrated into the built environment as an architectural enhancement ( Stankovic, Campbell and Harries, 2009).ĭespite these potential virtues, however, some wind industry analysts have cautioned against thinking that VAWTs represent a panacea for wind energy in cities. VAWTs may emit less noise, which can be a problem for wind turbines close to residential populations. Third, due again to lower rotating speeds, Second, VAWTs tend to operate at lower rotating speeds and have fewer moving components, such as no yaw system to orient the turbine into the wind, which can theoretically reduce maintenance costs. First, VAWTs are viewed as preferable for rooftop applications, because they can handle wind from all directions and perform better in turbulent conditions than HAWTs. Proponents of VAWTs identify several advantages over HAWTs for urban applications. Savonious VAWTs lighting a billboard in Times Square, New York City).

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