Couple of comments on VAWTs. First, none of the currently available units actually produce usable amounts of power, and typically have a payback of decades to centuries. The blades in a VAWT are stressed as beams, and need lots of support at high RPMS or they will break just like an overloaded beam. HAWT blades are stress along their length, along the radius of the rotor, and are much stronger in that direction. And third, a VAWT is much harder to put on a tall tower where the powerful winds are located. Putting any kind of turbine at ground level or near ground is not getting it up where the winds are powerful. No matter what kind of turbine, it needs to be up high!!!!
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