Conventional and unconventional micro-scale wind turbines for residential applications: a comparative review and standardized evaluation framework

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Wind energy is an important component of the global transition toward sustainable power systems; however, its residential application remains limited due to complex urban wind conditions characterized by low wind speeds, high turbulence intensity, and directional variability. This study presents a structured comparative review of conventional and unconventional micro-scale wind turbine technologies, including HAWTs, VAWTs, Archimedes-type, bladeless, and building-integrated systems. The review integrates aerodynamic principles, urban wind physics, technology readiness assessment, application readiness, and techno-economic evaluation within a unified framework. Emphasis is placed on capacity factor, annual energy production (AEP), validation level, and cost-normalized performance as indicators of practical feasibility. The findings indicate that residential wind viability is governed primarily by achievable AEP rather than nominal rated power and is highly sensitive to local wind conditions. Conventional small HAWTs remain the most mature and economically viable option, while many unconventional concepts, despite advantages in noise reduction, architectural integration, omnidirectional operation, and urban adaptability, exhibit lower energy density and limited long-term validation. The review also identifies the absence of standardized evaluation methodologies as a major barrier to meaningful comparison between technologies and proposes and demonstrates a structured framework for transparent, uncertainty-aware, turbulence-aware, and AEP-based assessment of residential micro-wind systems. The findings further highlight the importance of long-term urban field validation, standardized performance reporting, and hybrid photovoltaic–wind–battery systems for advancing residential micro-wind deployment.