A pathway towards sustainable development of small capacity horizontal axis wind turbines – Identification of influencing design parameters & their role on performance analysis

Abstract Presently small wind turbines are receiving greater attention, due to the extensive promotion of decentralized power generation in a sustainable way by national and international organizations. However, there are many obstacles in commercializing these turbines on a large scale due to lower efficiencies of turbines associated with high vibrational losses, lack of technical knowledge with the manufacturers, cost criteria and lack of awareness among the end-users. This paper reviews the research works done in the design and development of small wind turbine blades, including diffusers and winglets addition. Performance & parametric analysis of airfoils, blades & wind turbines are presented comprehensively. Impact of maximum power point technique, effects of ambiance on the turbine performance, environmental impacts of small wind turbines and some novel concepts are presented in this review. Future research works to enhance the efficiency of small wind turbines using materials with high strength to weight ratio would pave the way for efficient utilization of available wind energy in the earth’s crust.