Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) can be either small or large. Regardless, they are not the mainstay of the wind industry. Very few exist and even fewer than those work. For many years, I kept these pages as subcategory of small wind turbines. However, this arrangement no longer worked well with the current web site design so I’ve put them under the main category of wind turbines even though most serious work on the technology ceased years if not decades ago.

Chapter 6. Vertical-Axis and Darrieus Wind Turbines, of my book Wind Energy for the Rest of Us: A Comprehensive Guide to Wind Power and How to Use It, has an extensive discussion of the technology–all in one place.

There is also an extensive collection of archival and recent photographs of VAWTs and various forms of Darrieus turbines on the Photos section of this site. There you can find photos of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines.

Agile windpower by thilo wirth 02 jpg

Agile Wind Power’s Giant VAWT Re-Installed at Grevenbroich

By

Paul Gipe

Swiss VAWT Vertical Sky has been re-installed at Germany’s Grevenbroich test site west of Cologne.

Wind Tree by New Wind

Staffer blows whistle on blowhard America’s Cup wind-power plan

By

Jonathan Milne

A waterfront lantern festival powered by a ‘wind tree’ was the last gasp for a failing business. In the final in a three-part series, Jonathan Milne reports how Evan Price’s chickens came home to roost – on a steel tree.

Agile Wind Power Vertical Sky 32. https://www.agilewindpower.com/en/media

Photos of Damaged Giromill at Grevenbroich Test Site

By

Paul Gipe

On 21 November Thilo Wirth visited the Grevenbroich test site west of Cologne and took several photos of the damaged Agile Wind Power’s Vertical Sky 32.

Agile Wind Power Vertical Sky 32. https://www.agilewindpower.com/en/media

Giant Giromill Loses Blade at Grevenbroich Test Site

By

Paul Gipe

Swiss VAWT Vertical Sky 32 lost one of its three rotor arms and blade Sunday 15 November at the Grevenbroich test site according to German media. The prototype turbine was installed at the test site west of Cologne, Germany in September.

Bronx wind turbine’s blades fly off, smashing car and billboard

By

Paul Gipe

The turbine started spinning on Dec. 17, providing power to nearby buildings, according to the Bronx Times.

VAWT Topples To Ground In The Bronx, Destroys Billboard And Car

By

A wind turbine collapsed in the Bronx on Monday, setting off a frightening series of events.