| By :
Roger Brown
There are 2 main types that encompass the genre vertical wind turbine for the home - the Savonius and the Darieus style. Each has a rich history and application. The Savonius is a drag type wind turbine and the concept has been around since the 1700s. It operates like a paddle wheel does in the water - scooping the air and carrying the "blades" forward. In its purest form, it looks like a drum cut in half. That is why it has been used effectively in other fluid media like waterwheel design. Savonius systems was the first vertical wind turbine for the home. They are not very efficient because of being a drag type design they don't take advantage of advanced aerodynamic properties that drive modern blades. But, what you lose in efficiency with a Savonius you gain in lack of noise and aesthetic appeal. The Darieus wind turbine is more efficient and is a 20th Century invention. This is the eggbeater looking system that you see in more and more places. The blades are ultra-narrow, but very tall. These systems are more efficient than the Savonius style but they take up a lot more vertical space. Most of the wind turbines you find on roofs now are of the Savonius type. That is because they are simple to manufacture and they are straightforward to repair. The vertical helix is one example of that. The vertical helix can be very aesthetically pleasing to more people. Many people are willing to live with the inefficiency in order to get the look of the vertical helix. The neighbors look at it more like a piece of urban artwork than a wind generator. As urban attitudes change about wind turbines, vertical wind turbines hold a lot more promise than horizontal-axis units. The reason for that is, they will work in smaller places and are doable and installable by the average person. In conclusion, both of these vertical wind turbines for the home are efficient in their own way. You need to be careful and match the wind turbine with the task. This can take some time but a little effort on the front end will pay off nicely on the back end. That is not that hard to do but it takes some upfront planning to do that correctly. You have to first understand your wind resources. Then, you need to match the equipment to the task by understanding what you want to accomplish with the electricity you make with the windmill.
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