This paper describes progress on a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) testbed aimed at the needs of a single family. VAWTs are potentially better suited than the more common horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) to meet the energy needs of homes and villages because of lower blade speeds and more benign failure modes; however, they are also more complex in operation. The testbed described here is intended to investigate various technologies for construction and operation and to optimize the value of such turbines as mass-market devices. The methods of analysis, simulation, design, construction, and control draw on classical as well as leading-edge aerospace technologies.