The blades of a modern wind turbine can be over 40 metres long and stand on a tower 80 metres high. In good winds, they can generate enough electricity to supply around 900 typical European homes.
The blades are attached to the nacelle. Inside the nacelle is the generator.
Modern wind turbines are very different from the early windmills. They are now made out of modern materials and controlled by electronics and computers. The main parts of a turbine are the tower, the nacelle and the rotor blades. The rotor blades are connected to the front of the nacelle and the whole lot sits on top of a tower.
Rotor blades are made to be lightweight but strong.
Most wind turbines have three rotor blades. The rotor blades have an aerodynamic shape (like an aeroplane wing) that helps them to catch as much wind energy as possible. Modern blades are made from materials such as carbon fibre, glass fibre and polyester. These materials allow the blade to bend a little in the wind without breaking.
Steel tubes are bolted together to make a wind tower taller than four houses!
The tower of a wind turbine is normally a steel tube that is bolted to a concrete base. The tube is made in sections and transported to the tower site on large Lorries. Cranes lift the sections into place and they are bolted together to form the tower.