Vertical wind turbines are making an impression in the alternative energy scene these days for their unique design.  Traditional horizontal wind turbines rely heavily upon wide open spaces and strong and constant wind speed of around 10 miles per hour in order to be effective, however vertical wind turbines are the next generation of wind turbine and can go where standard wind turbines cannot.

Designers had to address the issue that most wind turbines operate under, such restrictive and specific conditions which made them unsuitable for use by the general population.  The solution was to create a design that could operate under realistic conditions that would see their use validated by a wider market making the use of vertical wind turbines a realistic replacement for conventional energy sources.

The resulting design was a vertical wind turbine created with the urban user in mind.  No longer were consumers required to live in the middle of farmland or to have vast amounts of space to take advantage of the new vertical wind turbines.

The beauty of the vertical wind turbines design is because of its vertical nature it is able to harness wind even at difficult angles as you would expect to find living under city conditions with the constant wind direction changes characteristic of wind hitting and deflecting against building surfaces and unlike traditional wind turbines, vertical wind turbines do not need to be constantly pointed in the direction of the wind flow in order to be effective.

When researching to see if a vertical wind turbine is for you, something to remember is that there are 3 main models:

1. Savonius Wind Turbine – this particular vertical wind turbines design is simple and cost effective and therefore easy to assemble from a ready made kit, however its speeds can be limiting, restricting its use for smaller scale operations.

2. Darrieus Wind Turbine – this vertical wind turbines design tends to have more moving parts and is more complex to construct.  May require the assistance of a professional for installation and can be more expensive than the Savonius however the Darrieus can achieve higher wind speeds making it a feasible energy source.

3. Helical Wind Turbine – This is the best vertical wind turbine on the market because it can still generate electricity even in low wind conditions.  Installation can be expensive however worth it considering the energy savings over time.

Although Vertical wind turbines require less windy conditions to operate effectively it still pays to live in a location that offers a good amount of wind to ensure a constant supply of energy.

To further explore this avenue and to see if you’re a good candidate for vertical wind turbines, seek the advice of a good Wind Power Evaluator.  They will be able to recommend based upon your location and the amount of wind speed whether or not a vertical wind turbine could solve or fit into your energy needs.

So there you have it, no need to have the traditional, windmill like wind generator theses, why not go for a  vertical wind turbine instead.