this post was submitted on 02 Nov 2023
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Because money/practical limitations: It costs more to make them and in ye olden times I'm not sure they had the technology to make a reliable vertical axis turbine.
They do exist these days, but aren't as common because they're more expensive and complicated (which also means more maintenance, which further adds to the long-term cost).
And if you really notice, your wind in most regions usually comes from about the same direction anyhow. It's known as prevailing winds, and it how sailors managed to get anywhere they were going. Basically, towards the equator winds blow to the west, and at about the 30 degree mark away from the equator the winds blow towards the east (towards northeast, often in the north, and southeast in the south).
Pardon my ignorance but, how is a vertical wind turbine more mechanically complicated than a "standard" one?
From another comment here:
https://discuss.tchncs.de/comment/4502932
I'm not an engineer but as I understand it: They are harder to make than a traditional windmill. Mechanically probably wasn't the best word to use I guess, at least for most designs.