Basic Anatomy of a Wind Turbine 

The total height of a wind turbine is approximately 120 meters (394 feet) from the tower base to the tip of the rotor.  The turbine’s nacelle (hub) is approximately 80 meters high.  Larger turbines could be as tall as 100 meters, with a height at the tip of the rotor at 150 meters.  View an illustration of the turbine components*. 

Utility-Scale Wind Development

The size of a wind farm depends on the area of land available, additional electrical demand required, and available electrical system capacity.

Wind development can require up to 5 years for siting, zoning, feasibility and environmental studies, permits, and construction.  The exact timeframe required to complete a wind project is dictated by site and project specifics.

Once complete, wind turbines and their service roads require only 3 to 5 percent of the total land in the wind farm. The vast majority of the land remains available for normal activities.

Learn more by viewing these PDFs:

• Wind Development Process*
• Components of the electrical system*
• Wind construction process*
• Working together with the community*

For More Information

These Web sites offer additional information on wind energy:

• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind and Hydrotechnologies Program
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• American Wind Energy Association
• Utility Wind Interest Group (UWIG)
• Wind Powering America
• Wind Energy Resource Maps*

* To view and print this information, you need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader.