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Abstract In this study, systematically designed wind tunnel experiments were conducted to characterize the aerodynamic performance of a DU91-W2-250 airfoil with a riblet film. To quantify the impact of the riblet film on wind turbine performance, experimental results were used as input data for numerical simulations. Large-eddy simulations were conducted for the smooth and modified airfoils under uniform and turbulent inflow conditions. For the turbulent inflow simulations, staggered cubes were introduced upstream of the wind turbine to generate velocity fluctuations in the flow. Results from the numerical simulations show that improvements in the aerodynamic performance of the airfoil with riblets enhance the aerodynamic torque that drives the wind turbine, thereby increasing the power output. The improvement in the power coefficient with the use of the riblet film is higher for turbulent incoming wind compared to uniform flow conditions.