This paper presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics study of a 5KW scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbines comparing blade thickness and solidity. NACA0012 was compared to NACA0022 blade profile at σ = 0.3, and also three solidities σ = 0.2, σ = 0.6, σ = 0.98 were compared for both NACA profiles. For the blade thickness NACA0012 performed better than the NACA0022 blade at all the tip speed ratios tested due to the NACA0012 blade stalling at a higher angle of attack and higher lift coefficient. The σ = 0.6 performed best of the three chord lengths tested based on peak power performance for the two NACA profiles, and the effect of altering blade chord can change the stalling behaviour of the same profile. The trend in performance of the two blades profile was not the same especially at low tip speed ratios for the three solidities cases investigated. At λ = 3 the NACA0022 blade profile performed better than the NACA0012 blade profile for σ = 0.2.
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