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.
Rooftop and Building Integrated Wind Turbines are a Failure Says NREL
By
Paul Gipe
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) concludes in a new report that rooftop-mounted and building-integrated wind turbines are a failure, though readers would be hard pressed to find that statement in so many words.
A giant egg beater at ILCC’s farm?
By
Larry Kershner
Vertical axis wind turbine design to be tested soon
Wind Tourist Pic of Ropatec VAWT in Southern Sicily
By
Paul Gipe
French aerodynamicist Stéphan Aubin sent in a photo of Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) near the port of Siacca while he was vacationing in southern Italy.
UGE Dumps VAWT Business—What Happens Now to Eiffel Tower & Lincoln Field Turbines?
By
Paul Gipe
Controversial developer of “urban” wind projects Urban Green Energy (UGE) is quitting the wind business. Using its in-house designed vertical-axis wind turbine, the New York City-based company installed dozens of the wind turbines on buildings in high-profile locations, including the much-hyped turbines installed inside the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Quiet Revolution VAWT Total Flop Says German Paper
By
Paul Gipe
That this turbine was doomed to fail—and would give small wind another—and unneeded—black eye was obvious from the beginning—for anyone who had the desire to know.
SF PUC building, touted as greenest yet, may be too green
By
Lizzie Johnson
San Francisco’s greenest city office building isn’t quite as successful as city officials had hoped.
