A good way to describe a wind turbine is that it works the opposite way of an electric fan i.e. instead of using electricity to make wind, wind turbines use wind to make electricity.
1. The wind passes over the blades and makes them turn (kinetic energy)
2. The blades turn a shaft within the nacelle (the box at the top of the turbine)
3. The shaft connects to a gear box which increases the rotational speed enough for...
4. ...the generator, which uses magnetic fields to convert the rotational energy into electrical energy.
5. The power output then goes into an inverter which converts the DC (direct current) electricity coming out of the generator into AC (alternating current) electricity.
6. A transformer is used to convert the electricity to the right voltage for the local distribution network, typically 33,000 V.
7. The electricity is then exported to the local electricity grid.