Abstract: A novel shrouded wind-solar hybrid renewable energy and rain water harvester with an omni-directional-guide-vane
(ODGV) for urban high-rise application is introduced. The ODGV surrounds the vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) and enhances the
VAWT performance by increasing the on-coming wind speed and guiding it to an optimum flow angle before it interacts with the rotor
blades. An ODGV scaled model was built and tested in the laboratory. The experimental results show that the rotational speed of the
VAWT increase by about 2 times. Simulation works show that the installation of the ODGV increases the torque output of a
single-bladed VAWT by 206% for tip speed ratio, TSR = 0.4. The result also revealed that higher positive torque can be achieved when
the blade tangential force at all radial positions is optimized. To conclude, the ODGV improves the power output of a VAWT and this
integrated design promotes the installation of wind energy systems in urban areas