Tower:
Made from tubular steel (shown here), concrete, or steel lattice. Supports the structure of the turbine. Because wind speed increases with height, taller towers enable turbines to capture more energy and generate more electricity.
Wind direction:
Determines the design of the turbine. Upwind turbines—like the one shown here—face into the wind while downwind turbines face away.
Wind vane:
Measures wind direction and communicates with the yaw drive to orient the turbine properly with respect to the wind.
Yaw drive:
Orients upwind turbines to keep them facing the wind when the direction changes. Downwind turbines don't require a yaw drive because the wind manually blows the rotor away from it.
Yaw motor:
Powers the yaw drive.