> * Hydro is crap at startup too (they need black start units, at least the big ones do) * This is a misunderstanding. All generators require an excitation cu

> * Hydro is crap at startup too (they need black start units, at least the big ones do) * This is a misunderstanding. All generators require an excitation current to start up. Most generators get this excitation from the grid. For large, important generators they also have black start, so that they can provide excitation on-site. This means they don't need to bootstrap themselves from a grid. Hydro tends to have black start not because 'they need it' but because it is critically important from a grid security perspective. During a blackout, you want your high inertia, flexible machines online first - these are hydros for systems that have them. If you don't have blackstart on these machines, you need them on some other machine online first to energize the grid. You wouldn't put blackstart units on wind turbines, simply because they are worthless if there isn't already an energised grid to support into (they aren't grid forming). So you can always assume grid-based excitation current for wind generators. I think OP was talking about the cut-in speed (at what wind speed can the turbine start producing power). For HAWTs this is at wind speeds of around 5 m/s. For VAWTs, I don't know, but I assume it is a little higher based on the OP's comment, and that they may even need some mechanical assistance to get them spinning in the first place.