As a wind tunnel engineer, you sometimes encounter very self-confident power-plant inventors. They propose to install small windmills in the shadow of their soon numerous costumers' detached houses and promise a great earn of money selling electrical power. Many of them use Savonius-rotors, but almost all contain their turbines within voluminous ducting. Moreover, they prove very resistant to any kind of advice. Although I doubt the usefulness of small wind turbines within populated areas, which in general should not be all to windy places, the most reasonable way of doing so might be using the whole building as a power plant. A classical windmill should be the architecturally best accepted kind of such a power plant within a rural or suburban countryside. There will be plenty of space for a big generator under the roof, no gearbox is necessary. In order to increase aerodynamic efficiency, a faster turning three-blade-rotor with a real airfoil and suitable twist should be installed. But if you don't want to live in a dutch windmill all the time, just use in a post mill as your summer house. As the whole house turns with the wind, the sunroom and balcony upstairs is always on the calm lee side. The only thing missing is a ramp for my wheel chair ;-). On a day with average wind, a turbine of this size (about 15 meters of diameter) might produce somewhat over three or even four kilowatts, enough power for a water boiler to make a cup of tea ... WIL AutoCAD 2002/-11 Corel Photopaint 7 Notepad