Off-shore wind turbines take power from the National Grid when not generating electricity, it has emerged. They use electricity to keep their blades rotating slowly in cold weather to prevent them icing up and to power the systems which turn the blades into the wind.

Do wind turbines use their own electricity?

Wind turbines work on a simple principle: instead of using electricity to make wind—like a fan—wind turbines use wind to make electricity. Wind turns the propeller-like blades of a turbine around a rotor, which spins a generator, which creates electricity.

Are wind turbines ever turned off?

Many times a wind turbine will shut down if ice forms on the blades as a result of the ice slowing down the rotation of the turbine. ... The most common reason that turbines stop spinning is because the wind is not blowing fast enough. Most wind turbines need a sustained wind speed of 9 MPH or higher to operate.