AbstractWith the development of urbanization and the application of renewable energy, wind turbine is becoming an important approach for wind energy reservation and utilization. This study provides a numerical investigation on understanding the surface pressure distribution, flow characteristics and dynamic responses of a parked straight‐bladed vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT), which is helpful for its design. Together with the two‐way coupling method between simulation platforms such as STAR‐CCM+ and ABAQUS, the SST k‐ω turbulence model is used to obtain the surface pressure and surrounding flow of the VAWT, and the finite element method is used to obtain the dynamic responses of its structural components. The results show that the contours of the pressure distribution on the windward surface of the VAWT are similar even under a few different conditions, and the deformation of the VAWT can lead to changes in surface pressure; the turbulent flow characteristics and the wake effect become more obvious as the wind velocity increases; the blades and support arms of the VAWT need to be reinforced during the design, and the effect of the parked condition on the dynamic responses of the VAWT can be neglected. The two‐way coupling method as well as the numerical simulation results is expected to provide references for the design of VAWTs subjected to coming wind action.