| By :
Roger Brown
Vertical wind turbines for the home are the ideal cure for high electricity bills. They have several key advantages over other renewable energy sources, including horizontal-axis wind turbines. A conservative estimate of availability of wind shows that only 3% of the energy we generate in the United States comes from wind, so there's a lot of upside opportunity here. 3 very important drivers that lead people to strongly considering vertical-axis turbines for home power generation: 1. They look good and blend in with their environments 2. Very simple to mount and get them operational and producing power 3. They can make electricity even in turbulent winds that are often found on roofs On top of being easier on the eyes than horizontal wind turbines, it has been shown that vertical-axis windmills even have a calming effect on people. In Europe, there have been studies done on the psychological effects of wind turbines. It turns out that people like to just sit and watch vertical turbines work - having the same effect as watching waves at the ocean. Vertical windmills have a much smaller footprint than horizontal wind turbines. The reason for that is they have a much smaller swept area or, blade area exposed to the wind. That allows them to be easily be mounted on roofs. The big advantage of having your turbine mounted on the roof is it is much easier to repair. The equipment that you typically have to work on - like the gearbox - is located at the base of the unit. That is lot easier than having to work on windmill equipment that is located 100 feet in the air on top of a tower. Lastly and possibly the biggest advantage of vertical turbines is their ability to function well and produce power in very turbulent winds. Horizontal windmills all have a tail assembly, which turns them into the wind to optimize the power production. Verticals don't need a tail. They spin quite nicely in chaotic wind conditions. If the wind shifts direction, the vertical wind turbine just changes direction, too. Turbulent wind conditions are actually where verticals really perform best. When gusts occur, they oblige and quickly shift to turn in whatever direction the wind dictates. As long the turbine is spinning in some direction, it is making electricity. This makes it a perfect solution for roofs of homes or buildings. Paying attention to "Roof Effect" when locating your turbine will improve your power output too. This means that the highest wind speeds are available at the roofs' eve. At that point, the wind accelerates by approximately a factor of 3. In summary, vertical wind turbines for the home can be the easiest solution for the energy crisis by making renewable power production within reach of the average homeowner.
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