Patent ID: 8245458

Claim:
A wind turbine, comprising: a nacelle; a tower, said nacelle mounted atop said tower, said tower having a base portion; a tower support system, said tower support system further comprising: a plurality of support fins spaced radially around said base portion; each said support fin comprising a continuous header member secured to said tower and a continuous face member extending radially outward and downward from said header member towards ground; and, each said support fin comprising a web extending between said header member and said face member; wherein said support fins extend from said tower with a length and at an acute extension angle relative to a longitudinal axis of said tower so as to provide vertical and lateral support around the circumference of said tower; engaging alignment structure configured between said header member and said base portion; and wherein said alignment structure comprises protrusions on one of said header member or said base portion that engage in recesses defined in the other of said base portion or said header member.