Currently, the integration of wind turbines into urban and suburban environments (non-traditional placement near or on buildings) is hindered by noise, structural vibrations, installation costs, low-quality (weak and variable) winds, safety, and low performance.
Most modern wind turbines seek an increased power production by means of larger rotor sizes. This resulted in the need for dedicated wind farms for large wind turbines. Hence, the current approach to increasing power production by making larger rotors does not satisfy the needs of building-integrated wind turbines. The weight of the blades directly affects the inertia of the rotor and the loads at the shaft. Therefore, most of the challenges faced by building-integrated wind turbines are due to the turbine weight and size.
Another challenge in current wind turbine design is the “starting” problem. Large turbines require energy expenditure to begin rotating in light and moderate winds, as well as yaw control in the case of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs). Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) can make use of winds from all directions and are structurally less demanding than HAWTs. But VAWTs that are lift-driven are not self-starting even in strong winds, and must first be sped up to a certain angular velocity before the aerodynamic forces can drive the shaft's rotation. Drag-driven VAWTs are self-starting, but their efficiency is inferior to the lift-driven turbines.
In addition, the elevated costs of currently available micro-wind turbines and their installation outweigh the benefits until the investment is amortized years later.
Accordingly, making use of wind in areas not specifically dedicated to wind energy and empowering lift-driven devices to self-start will benefit wind turbine performance by targeting key aspects that determine their efficiency.