There is an increasing emphasis on utility-scale Wind Power in the United States. Wind farms that range in size from a few to hundreds of wind turbines are producing more than 60 MW of electricity. There are projects in pipeline where giga-watts of power targets are being planned around the world. Every year new projects are being raised that surpass each other to become the largest wind farms in the world.

1. Commercial scale Turbines

The largest wind turbine has a rotor diameter in excess of 400 feet and it is estimated to produce more than 20 Million kWh of Wind Power in a year. This power is sufficient to power 5,000 average households. Because the Wind Power produced by a turbine increases with its size, new wind turbines are expected to grow further in size.

2. Small-Scale Turbines

There is even more developments taking place in the realm of small-scale wind turbines. The regular propeller-styled turbine is quite commonly used and it is available in different sizes. You can find dozens of Wind Power turbines that range in diameter from 8 Ft to 56 Ft. The largest of these generators can produce much more electricity than even a large-sized household would require.

3. Vertical Axis Turbines

Vertical axis turbines are considered to be ideal for more urban areas that receive swirling winds that regularly keep changing their direction. These type of turbines have their rotor spinning round a vertical axis, and the blades would turn from wind blowing in from any direction. However, the efficiency of this machine is not very high because at times the rotor would be turning in the opposite direction of the wind.

Benefits of Vertical Axis Turbines

• An advantage of vertical axis machines over horizontal machines is that they are quieter. And, the cylindrical design allows them to be installed in smaller space, which means they are more suited for urban applications.

• They are more solid in build, making them less dangerous for bats and birds.

One of the latest vertical axis Wind Power machines is the Windspire that has been developed with the residential market in focus. The design comprises of a slender cylinder 2 Ft wide and 30 Ft tall. The HelixWind has a more solid appearance with its rotors having a helical mechanism. Its rotor is shorter and wider compared to the Windspire and the taller variant produces double the amount of Wind Power.