Vertical axis wind turbines spin but don't effectively generate a reasonable amount of energy. All of the other wind generation rules apply too no matter which wind generator type. Wind generation best takes place well above the ground level, usually 50 feet above surrounding terrain(50 above the trees, houses etc) is the rule of thumb minimum, with 100-150 feet for residential, agri, and non-utility commercial being common. Despite there being a wind turbine placed in Hennepin county by Great River Energy, our wind resource is terrible compared to other places. Sure it turns, but the return on investment they were going for was PR and it will never make sense financially(if you ignore the PR indirect benefit).
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