Unlike solar power resources which are relatively easy to calculate, wind power, at least on anything other than utility scale, is not easily quantifiable. Wind provides a fantastic source of potential energy for our planet, however, as we’ve all been told its intermittency and or unpredictability often excludes it from being a stand alone primary power source. Wind power is an ideal compliment to solar or an offset to grid consumption. Depending on location, on a per watt installed basis, wind power is typically cheaper than solar.
There are two basic types of wind turbines, each satisfy different niches – horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT).
Horizontal axis turbines are the ones we are most familiar with, resembling your typical “house fan”, these work best in steady winds typically found at higher elevations above ground level with little ground interference (buildings, trees, etc…) that might cause turbulence.
Vertical axis wind turbines, can be thought of as having a sort of “barrel” configuration. VAWT’s work best lower to the ground or in highly turbulent areas where the wind shifts often throughout the course of the day.
