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This page compares the instantaneous power output of a number of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) currently on the market. This breed of turbine are usually quieter in operation and often viewed as being more aesthetic. However there is a price to pay for this in terms of power output - in a normal wind regime they are less efficient at converting wind energy into electricity. Looking at the graph below, the Venco, Windgen and Turby generators all appear to have slightly better efficiencies at lower wind speeds than the widely known Quiet Revolution qr5. 
Click links below to find out more about each turbine.
QR5 Windgen1000 Turby Helix D100 Ropatec 1kW Windside015 Windside2 Windside4 V3.5 Big Star Maxi Simply
The data shown here is drawn from the power curves as published by the respective manufacturers. Some of these are calculated in different ways. When the MCS standards, are launched (hopefully soon) we will have a fairer way of comparing the power curves of wind turbines. The outputs shown towards the right of the graph represent what you would get in gale force wind speeds, so look towards the left to get an idea of the instantaneous power outputs you might get at your site. This graph can't be used to predict actual annual outputs, since many other local factors will affect the performance of a turbine. Reliability and installed cost should be a major consideration. To find out more about assessing the potential of your site for wind turbines and working out what you could actually generate, check out our Power Predictor device.
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