The Vertical Axis Wind Turbine is a wind power generation design that puts the main rotor shaft transverse to the wind. The main components of the system are located at the base of the tower on which the vertical blades sit. This differs from the more common Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT), where the blades attached at the horizontal rotor shaft. The gearbox and other pointing equipment are at the top of the pole hundreds of feet off the ground.

In a VAWT design, there is no need for pointing mechanisms as the blades are omnidirectional, meaning they catch the wind regardless of direction without needing to reorient the turbine blades. Along with attributes that make it easier to maintain, the VAWT design allows for closer placement so more turbines can be located in the same area as HAWTs.

The VAWT, when issues such as durability and wind speed matching are taken care of, becomes a superior solution for many applications. Just some of those reasons include:

• Omnidirectional wind capture
• A small footprint
• Multiple units do not require the huge setback that HAWTs require
• Quicker installation
• Low maintenance that is primarily at ground level