Design of COTS Vertical Axis Wind Turbine for Urban Areas

In this paper we describe the design of a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) that fits residential areas. Such turbines are needed in regions with dense population such as Gaza Strip where the majority of the population are living in urban areas and they seek to reach energy self-sufficient buildings due to the severe electricity shortage in the local grid. The main consideration for a VAWT wind turbine to be suitable for urban areas is the safety factor. Another consideration is being able to turn and produce electricity at low wind speeds. Those two factors will shape the design of the VAWT wind turbine. The designed wind turbine should be compact enough to be installed on rooftops. A target power rating of 5 k Watt is set for the wind turbine as a considerable amount of power to supply a typical residential home. The efficiency of the designed wind turbine is validated experimentally by the recorded wind speeds from an anemometer and the estimated harvested power from the turbine itself. Further schemes and modifications on the design are suggested for improving the power efficiency.