How do wind turbines work?

Wind turbines harness the wind—a clean, free, and widely available renewable energy source—to generate electric power. The animation below is interactive. You can start and stop the turbine’s movement, hover over parts to see their description, and use the icons in the lower right corner of the animation to switch views.

What is the difference between upwind and downwind turbines?

Upwind turbines—like the one shown here—face into the wind while downwind turbines face away. Most utility-scale land-based wind turbines are upwind turbines. The wind vane measures wind direction and communicates with the yaw drive to orient the turbine properly with respect to the wind.

How does a utility-scale wind plant work?

In a utility-scale wind plant, each turbine generates electricity which runs to a substation where it then transfers to the grid where it powers our communities. Transmission lines carry electricity at high voltages over long distances from wind turbines and other energy generators to areas where that energy is needed.

How does a wind turbine pitch system work?

The pitch system adjusts the angle of the wind turbine's blades with respect to the wind, controlling the rotor speed. By adjusting the angle of a turbine's blades, the pitch system controls how much energy the blades can extract.

What is a windmill & how does it work?

The windmill, which converts wind into rotational energy to mill grain or pump water, has been around since antiquity. It’s even been claimed that Ancient Babylonians planned to harness wind as early as almost 4,000 years ago, as part of a scheme for one of Hammurabi’s ambitious irrigation projects.

How do wind power plants produce electricity?

Wind power plants produce electricity by having an array of wind turbines in the same location. The placement of a wind power plant is impacted by factors such as wind conditions, the surrounding terrain, access to electric transmission, and other siting considerations.