Wind Turbine FAQs

    • Start with two questions: how much wind your site actually gets, and how much room you have.
    • Vertical turbines (the X-300, H1000 and H2000) start turning at 2 to 2.5 m/s and take wind from any direction, so they keep working where the wind swirls and shifts — around buildings, trees and rooflines. They run from 300 W up to 2000 W.
    • Horizontal turbines (M-400, M-600, M-800, and the L1, L2 and G series) want cleaner, steadier wind and a clear run at it. In clean, steady wind a horizontal of the same rating is usually the better harvester, and they scale further — 400 W up to 5000 W.
    • Match the turbine to your battery bank, not to the biggest number. 12 V suits a camper, 4WD or tinnie; 24 V a van, cabin or boat; 48 V a shed or remote block.
    1. The largest models run at mains voltage, and the L2-3000, G-3000 and G-5000 are ground-mount only — they need a 10–15 m mast and are not rooftop units.
    2. Rated power is measured at 10–14 m/s, depending on the model. What you get at your place depends on your wind, your mast height and the season — not on a number on our website.
    1. No. Wind turbines generate "wild" 3-phase AC power that changes voltage constantly with the wind speed.
    2. Connecting it directly to a battery or a standard solar inverter will destroy your equipment.
    • You must wire the turbine into a dedicated wind charge controller (pure-wind or wind-solar hybrid) with a dump-load resistor.
    • The controller converts the power to stable DC to charge your batteries safely.

  • Match the turbine and its controller to the voltage of your existing battery bank:

    • 12 V: compact mobile setups — caravans, 4WDs and camper trailers.
    • 24 V: medium setups — off-grid sheds, cabins and motorhomes.
    • 48 V: most of this range, and the sensible choice for a full off-grid system. Higher voltage means less current in the cable, so less loss over a long run and lighter cable.
    • When your battery bank is fully charged it stops accepting power.
    1. If a storm hits at night with the batteries full, a turbine with nowhere to send its power will free-spin out of control and can physically fly apart.
    • The controller prevents that by diverting the excess into the dump load resistor, which burns it off safely as heat and acts as an electronic brake to slow the turbine down.
    • Yes, you need one.
    • Usually quieter, but not silent — no turbine is.
    • Why a Horizontal is Louder: its blade tips travel several times faster than the wind, and blade noise climbs steeply with tip speed. The whoosh rises and falls as each blade comes round — a rhythmic swish that carries through wind noise more than a steady hiss does.
    • Why a Vertical is Usually Quieter: its blades turn more slowly, so there is less of that whoosh.
    1. What we won't Tell you: that it's silent. Every turbine gets louder as the wind picks up. The wind often covers much of it in a strong blow, but a close neighbour can still hear one in light to moderate wind.
    2. The manufacturer publishes no noise figure for the turbines themselves (the "65 dB or less" on some Specs tabs is the controller's), so we don't quote one.
    • On a building, use vibration isolators — a turbine bolted to a structure carries its sound into the rooms — and check your council's rules on noise, height and placement before you order a mast.
    • It will turn, but turning is not charging. The blades start turning at 2 to 2.5 m/s (about 7 to 9 km/h) — a light breeze.
    • Charging starts at the cut-in speed: 3 m/s (about 11 km/h) on every model except the X-300, which starts and charges from 2 m/s. Output then climbs steeply with wind speed.
    1. The rated figure is measured much higher — 10 to 14 m/s depending on the model, a 36 to 50 km/h wind, not a normal afternoon. Each product page's spec table gives that model's own numbers.
    • A gentle breeze keeps the turbine ticking over; it takes real wind to push real power into your batteries. Every horizontal model has its measured power curve published on its product page — work from that, not from the number in the product name.
    • No — small turbines are built to spin fast. The smaller the rotor, the faster it has to turn to keep its blade tips up with the wind: the M-400's 1.35 m rotor runs at about 800 rpm, the M-600 and M-800 at about 500, the big G-series at 300.
    • In the manufacturer's words, the high rpm is a design necessity, not a defect. A slower generator would need a bigger stator and more magnets and copper — heavier and dearer.
    • They start turning at 2 to 2.5 m/s and make power right across the wind range — just less when the wind is light. What you get depends on your site and how high you mount it.
    • Yes — connect the turbine to a battery bank first, through a dedicated charge controller.
    1. Never straight to an inverter. Connecting a wind turbine directly to a standard inverter will damage the equipment or cause the system to fail.

    The Correct Order:

    • 1. Wind Turbine — generates wild, fluctuating 3-phase AC as the wind changes.
    • 2. Hybrid or Wind Charge Controller — converts it to steady DC, and protects the turbine from over-speeding with an electronic brake.
    • 3. Battery Bank (12 V, 24 V or 48 V) — absorbs the gusts and provides a steady source of energy.
    • 4. Off-Grid Inverter — connects to the battery, converting stored DC into AC for your appliances.

    Why you Cannot Skip the Battery:

    1. Unstable Voltage: wind changes second by second. Without a battery to smooth it out, a direct-connected inverter would constantly cut out.
    2. Turbine Damage: when a battery is disconnected, the turbine loses its load. Without that resistance the blades can spin out of control in high wind and destroy the unit. The controller uses the battery connection to dump excess power and slow it down.
    • A wind turbine must run through a dedicated wind charge controller (pure-wind or wind-solar hybrid) with a dump-load resistor. The dump load stops the turbine over-speeding and damaging itself in high winds once your batteries are full.
    1. The turbine generates 3-phase AC power and cannot be connected directly to a battery, a solar controller or a home inverter.
    • Installation and commissioning must be carried out by a suitably qualified and licensed electrician.
    • The cable from the turbine to the controller is 3-core copper.
    • A DC breaker goes between the controller and the battery — never a plain breaker on the turbine wires; the controller brakes the turbine itself.
    • Cable, breakers, isolators and all protective devices are selected to suit your site and are the electrician's call, not ours.

  • It is almost always one of three installation issues. Check them in order.

    Quick Checks — Tick as You Go

    • Is the Meter Set to AC Volts (V~)?
    • Is There a Short in the Wiring or Controller?
    • Is the Cable from the Mast Heavy Enough for the Run?

    1. The Multimeter is Set to DC — The Most Common Mistake.

    1. Measuring the three turbine wires with the meter set to DC volts gives a false reading near zero.
    • Wind turbines generate 3-phase AC directly from the stator. Switch the meter to AC volts (V~).

    2. The Turbine is Stalling Because of a Short.

    1. The blades turn heavily and slowly, or lock up: if any of the three AC output wires touch each other, or the controller's braking diodes have short-circuited, it acts as a magnetic brake — the turbine can never spin fast enough to build voltage.
    • Stop it and Unplug it Safely — Brake First. On a calm day, put the controller's brake on (if it has one) and wait for the blades to stop completely. The turbine cable is live whenever the blades turn; even with the brake on, don't touch anything until they have stopped.
    • Unplug the turbine and join its three wires together on the turbine side of the cable, so it stays braked. Don't leave it spinning unplugged.
    • Then have your electrician check the wiring and the controller for the short, or contact us and we will help you sort it out. Reconnect it the same way you start up: blades still, take the three wires apart, plug it in, then release the brake (if it has one).

    3. Voltage Drop from Thin Cable.

    1. Thin solar or automotive cable over 20 metres or more loses the power as heat before it reaches the controller.
    • Use heavy cable between the mast and the controller on long runs — minimum 8 AWG, ideally 6 AWG. Final sizing is your electrician's call.
    • The cable from the turbine to the controller is 3-core copper, because the turbine puts out three-phase AC. Too thin a cable also weakens the brake, because the controller brakes through it.
    • The number in the name is a peak rating, not a promise.
    • A turbine's rated output is measured at a specific wind speed — 10 to 14 m/s depending on the model, which is about 36 to 50 km/h — and most sites see far less than that most of the time.
    • Your display shows what the wind is delivering right now, so it will sit well below the rated figure and move second by second as the wind changes. That is physics, not a fault.
    • As an example, the L2-2500 is rated 2,500 W at 11 m/s. On a decent steady coastal breeze of 7 m/s the manufacturer's own curve gives about 813 W. That is why we publish the full power curve on every horizontal turbine's product page.
    • Where these machines earn their keep is time: they keep charging through the night and through the weather that shuts solar down.
    1. If the display shows 0 W while the blades are spinning, that is a different problem — see the 0 W question.
    • Not necessarily — this is one of the most common questions we get, and it is rarely a faulty unit.
    • It is usually a quick settings check, or (on a first-time install) how the wiring and start-up sequence were done.
    • See our full Wind Turbine 0W Troubleshooting Guide for the complete walkthrough, or the Set-Up Guide — or contact us and we will help you sort it out.
    • Wire your bus bar and breakers, then power up in the right order. Getting the sequence right prevents almost all wiring issues, including the common "spinning but 0 W" problem.
    • Fit a breaker on the solar side (if fitted), and a DC breaker or fuse between the controller and the battery, close to the battery, landing on a DC bus bar. Your electrician will confirm what the wiring rules need for your site.
    1. Don't put a plain breaker or isolator on the turbine wires. Cutting that line while the blades turn lets the turbine overspeed.
    • You don't need an extra switch there either — the controller brakes the turbine itself.
    • The cable from the turbine to the controller is 3-core copper. Allow the full height of the tower plus the run across to the controller; your electrician sizes it from the voltage, current and length.

    Starting Up — Begin at the Battery

    • 1. Switch the battery breaker on first. The controller powers up.
    • 2. Switch the solar on, if fitted.
    • 3. Turbine Last: on a calm day, with the blades still and the controller's brake on, take the three turbine wires apart, plug the turbine in, then release the brake. (A controller with no hand brake: skip the brake.)
    • See our full How to Install & Start Up guide for the complete step-by-step walkthrough and wiring diagram.
    • The controller brakes the turbine by joining its three wires together. It slows the blades but doesn't lock them dead.
    • Every controller we sell does this automatically when the battery is full or the voltage, current or speed climbs too high.
    • By Hand: WW series — flip the BRAKE switch, or press and hold the button for 5 seconds. WCMD — press the button and set the charging mode on the screen to "no charging". The Mars, Meteor and blue hybrids have no hand brake.
    • Every brake needs the battery, the WW's BRAKE switch included. Take the battery away and the brake lets go, so the turbine always comes off before the battery does.

    Shutting Down — Finish at the Battery

    • 1. Brake on (no hand brake: a calm day). Wait for the blades to stop completely.
    • 2. Unplug the turbine and join its three wires together, so it stays braked.
    • 3. Switch the solar off.
    • 4. Switch the battery breaker off last.
    • The same steps switch the system off for weeks.
    1. The turbine cable is live whenever the blades turn. Even with the brake on, wait until they have stopped completely before you touch anything.
    1. No. Don't put a plain breaker or isolator on the turbine wires: cutting that line while the blades turn lets the turbine overspeed.
    • You don't need an extra switch there either — the controller brakes the turbine itself.
    • Fit a DC breaker or fuse between the controller and the battery, close to the battery, so you can isolate the system before you touch anything. Your electrician will confirm what the wiring rules need for your site. That protects you, and it protects your new turbine and the rest of your power system.

  • Taking it Out

    • 1. Put the brake on (if it has one) and wait for the blades to stop completely. Do this on a calm day.
    • 2. Unplug the turbine and join its three wires together, so it stays braked. Then unplug the dump load, and the solar if fitted.
    • 3. Switch the battery breaker off last.
    • 4. Wait at least 5 minutes before you touch the controller — it holds a charge for a few minutes after the power is off.

    Putting it Back

    • 1. On a calm day, with the blades stopped and the battery breaker off, plug in the dump load and the solar if fitted. Then take the three turbine wires apart and plug the turbine in, with the brake on (if it has one).
    • 2. Switch the battery breaker on.
    • 3. Release the brake last (if it has one).
1 10

USB-C Rechargeable 1.5 V Lithium Batteries, AA or AAA

$29.95 AUD
Type
Pack Size

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The Torch Dies and the Spare Packet is Empty.

Two in the morning, and the torch goes. You cannot see. Not seeing turns into trips, hazards and near misses, and that runs on into investigations, lost time and a real incident — all because the last four AAs in the crib bag were flat and the servo is a hundred kilometres back down the track.

These are AA or AAA cells with a USB-C socket built into each one. No cradle charger to lose, no wall plug to pack. Pick the size you need, plug the supplied lead into the ute, a power bank, a laptop or the USB output on your solar controller, and they fill up where they sit. Every lead has two USB-C plugs on it, so one lead charges a pair.

One thing to get straight before you buy. The number printed on these cells is in mWh — energy — not the mAh you are used to seeing on a battery. The AA is printed 2600 mWh, which at 1.5 V works out to roughly 1,730 mAh. The AAA is printed 550 mWh on most of the supplier's pictures, roughly 370 mAh. Those are the maker's printed figures and we have not bench-tested a cell. The detail is in the Limits tab.

What it Does
  • Charges Off What you Carry: any USB-A port does it — the vehicle, a power bank, a laptop, a solar controller with a USB socket. No cradle, no dock.
  • Keeps the Torch Bright to the End: the output is held at 1.5 V, so the beam does not slowly fade as the cell empties. It runs, and then it stops.
  • Trail Camera & GPS Swaps: take a charged set out to the camera, bring the flat set back and charge it off the ute on the drive home.
  • Remotes, Mice & Toys at Home: the TV remote, the wireless mouse and the kids' toys go through AAAs. One pack and a lead replaces the packet in the kitchen drawer.
  • Stands in for the Disposables: the cells are printed for 1,200 charges, so one pack replaces a lot of packets. That is the maker's figure — we have not counted them.
Key Features
  • AA or AAA, your Pick: choose the size, then the pack size. Every pack is all one size — no mixed sets.
  • USB-C Port per Cell: each battery has its own USB-C socket in the side of the cap, so it is its own charger.
  • Twin-Plug Lead: each lead runs from one USB-A plug to two USB-C plugs. You get one lead for every two cells.
  • Charge Light: a red light on the cell flashes while it charges and stays on when it is full.
  • 1.5 V Output: lithium-ion inside, stepped down to 1.5 V for gear built for disposables. It is not a bare 3.7 V cell.
  • Standard Sizes: the AA is the standard IEC R6 size. The seller gives the AAA as 10 mm across and 44 mm long.
  • Charge Time, as Stated: the supplier quotes about 1.5 hours from flat to full. We have not timed one.
  • Cycle Life, as Stated: 1,200 charges, printed on the cell. We have not tested that either.
  • Pack Sizes: AA in 2, 4, 8 or 12 cells. AAA in 2, 4, 8, 10 or 20 cells.
  • Brand Marking: the cells in the supplier's pictures are printed SMARTOOOLS; the seller lists the brand as YTBNA. No model number is printed.

Limits

What the Number on the Cell Actually Means

These cells are labelled in mWh, not mAh. Here is how to read it, and where the figures come from.

  • mWh is Energy: milliwatt hours measure energy; milliamp hours measure charge. To put a mWh figure next to a mAh one, divide it by the voltage.
  • The AA: printed 2600 mWh. At 1.5 V that is roughly 1,730 mAh. It is the maker's printed figure, not one we have tested.
  • The AAA: the supplier's listing title says 750 mWh. Most of its product pictures show the cell printed 550 mWh, and one photo shows 750 mWh. Until we have a cell in hand we go by the lower figure: 550 mWh, roughly 370 mAh at 1.5 V.
  • No Tested Figure: the supplier has never published a measured capacity and we have not measured a cell ourselves. Treat both numbers as the label, not a test result.

So the spec table below gives the printed figures, marked as printed, and the tested capacity reads "Not specified by supplier".

What Else These will Not Do
  • No Low-Battery Warning: the output stays at 1.5 V and then cuts out. Anything with a battery indicator will read full until it stops dead. Do not put these in a smoke alarm, or in anything else that has to warn you before it dies.
  • Not for 3.7 V Gear: these put out 1.5 V. If your device is built around a 14500 or 10440 lithium cell at 3.7 V, this is the wrong battery for it.
  • Take them Out to Charge: charge each cell through its own USB-C socket, out of the gear. Do not leave them sitting in a torch or a camera while they charge.
  • Do Not Mix them: every cell in a device should be the same type at the same state of charge. No mixing with alkaline or with NiMH.
  • Cradle Chargers will Not Work: a NiMH or 18650 charger does nothing with these. The USB-C socket is the only way in.
  • Keep them Out of the Heat: the warning printed on the AA cell says not to expose it to temperatures above 45 °C. A closed ute in the sun gets hotter than that, so do not leave them on the dash.
  • Marks are Not Approvals: the maker prints CE and FCC marks on the cell. We have not sighted a certificate for either, and neither is an Australian approval. Treat them as printing, not as proof.
  • Lithium Handling: these are lithium cells. They do not belong in checked luggage and they do not belong in the household bin — take them to a battery recycling drop-off.
  • No Cover: there is no guarantee of any kind on this product. Returns are for faulty or not-as-described only.

Q & A

Why does the Label Say mWh Instead of mAh?

Because the lithium-ion cell inside runs at a higher voltage and is stepped down to 1.5 V, so the maker rates the energy it holds rather than the charge. Divide the mWh figure by 1.5 to get a rough mAh: the AA's printed 2600 mWh is about 1,730 mAh, and the AAA's printed 550 mWh is about 370 mAh. Both are printed figures, not ones we have tested.

Will These Run my Torch Longer than a Disposable AA?

We have not measured either, so we will not put a number against it. What they do reliably is hold 1.5 V flat instead of fading, so the beam stays bright right up until it stops. The real win is that you recharge them instead of buying another packet.

Will they Work in my Trail Camera, GPS or Two-Way?

If it takes AA or AAA at 1.5 V, yes — they are the standard sizes and the standard voltage. The one thing to watch is the cut-off: there is no fade to warn you, so on a camera left out in the bush you want to swap on a schedule rather than wait for a low-battery indication.

What is Actually in the Pack?

Cells of the size you choose, plus one charging lead for every two cells. A 2-cell pack has one lead, a 4-cell pack two, and so on up to 12 AA with six leads or 20 AAA with ten. Every pack is one size only.

Do I Need a Charger as Well?

No cradle, no dock. The lead in the pack plugs straight into whatever USB-A source you already have — the vehicle, a power bank, a laptop, a phone charger, a solar controller with a USB output. There is no wall plug in the pack, so use one you already own.

Can I Leave them in the Grab Bag?

Yes, but top them up. The cell itself is printed with an instruction to recharge it before use if it has been sitting for more than 3 months. The supplier gives no self-discharge figure, so put a charge in them every few months rather than trusting a set that has sat in the bag since last winter.

How Long Until they Turn Up?

5 to 10 working days from the day you order. Allow 1–2 days for fulfilment. Regional and remote addresses take longer again. Free Standard Delivery.

Specs

Specifications Details
Cell Sizes AA or AAA — One Size per Pack
Chemistry Lithium-Ion, Stepped Down to 1.5 V
Output Voltage 1.5 V (Printed on the Cell)
AA Capacity Printed on Cell 2600 mWh (energy). Roughly 1,730 mAh at 1.5 V. Printed figure, not tested by us
AAA Capacity Printed on Cell 550 mWh on most supplier pictures (roughly 370 mAh at 1.5 V); one photo and the listing title say 750 mWh. Printed figures, not tested by us
Capacity, Tested Not Specified by Supplier
Charge Port USB-C, One per Cell
Charge Source 5 V USB-A Output
Charging Lead USB-A to Twin USB-C, One Lead per Two Cells
Charge Time About 1.5 Hours (Supplier Figure, Untested)
Charge Indicator Red Light Flashes While Charging, Stays on When Full
Cycle Life 1,200 Times (Supplier Figure, Untested)
AA Cell Size 14.5 mm Diameter, 50.5 mm Long (IEC R6 Standard Size)
AAA Cell Size 10 mm Diameter, 44 mm Long (Seller's Figure)
Cell Weight Not Specified by Supplier
Operating Temperature AA: −20 °C to 60 °C on the supplier's panel, but the warning printed on the cell says not above 45 °C. AAA: not specified by supplier
Self-Discharge Rate Not specified by supplier. The cell says to recharge before use after 3 months in storage
Maximum Discharge Current Not Specified by Supplier
AA Pack Contents 2 Cells + 1 Lead, 4 + 2, 8 + 4 or 12 + 6
AAA Pack Contents 2 Cells + 1 Lead, 4 + 2, 8 + 4, 10 + 5 or 20 + 10
Not in the Pack No wall plug. No storage case is shown in the pack pictures
Brand Marking SMARTOOOLS printed on the cell; the seller lists the brand as YTBNA. No model number printed
Certification None Sighted or Verified — See Limits

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Wind Turbine FAQs

    • Start with two questions: how much wind your site actually gets, and how much room you have.
    • Vertical turbines (the X-300, H1000 and H2000) start turning at 2 to 2.5 m/s and take wind from any direction, so they keep working where the wind swirls and shifts — around buildings, trees and rooflines. They run from 300 W up to 2000 W.
    • Horizontal turbines (M-400, M-600, M-800, and the L1, L2 and G series) want cleaner, steadier wind and a clear run at it. In clean, steady wind a horizontal of the same rating is usually the better harvester, and they scale further — 400 W up to 5000 W.
    • Match the turbine to your battery bank, not to the biggest number. 12 V suits a camper, 4WD or tinnie; 24 V a van, cabin or boat; 48 V a shed or remote block.
    1. The largest models run at mains voltage, and the L2-3000, G-3000 and G-5000 are ground-mount only — they need a 10–15 m mast and are not rooftop units.
    2. Rated power is measured at 10–14 m/s, depending on the model. What you get at your place depends on your wind, your mast height and the season — not on a number on our website.
    1. No. Wind turbines generate "wild" 3-phase AC power that changes voltage constantly with the wind speed.
    2. Connecting it directly to a battery or a standard solar inverter will destroy your equipment.
    • You must wire the turbine into a dedicated wind charge controller (pure-wind or wind-solar hybrid) with a dump-load resistor.
    • The controller converts the power to stable DC to charge your batteries safely.

  • Match the turbine and its controller to the voltage of your existing battery bank:

    • 12 V: compact mobile setups — caravans, 4WDs and camper trailers.
    • 24 V: medium setups — off-grid sheds, cabins and motorhomes.
    • 48 V: most of this range, and the sensible choice for a full off-grid system. Higher voltage means less current in the cable, so less loss over a long run and lighter cable.
    • When your battery bank is fully charged it stops accepting power.
    1. If a storm hits at night with the batteries full, a turbine with nowhere to send its power will free-spin out of control and can physically fly apart.
    • The controller prevents that by diverting the excess into the dump load resistor, which burns it off safely as heat and acts as an electronic brake to slow the turbine down.
    • Yes, you need one.
    • Usually quieter, but not silent — no turbine is.
    • Why a Horizontal is Louder: its blade tips travel several times faster than the wind, and blade noise climbs steeply with tip speed. The whoosh rises and falls as each blade comes round — a rhythmic swish that carries through wind noise more than a steady hiss does.
    • Why a Vertical is Usually Quieter: its blades turn more slowly, so there is less of that whoosh.
    1. What we won't Tell you: that it's silent. Every turbine gets louder as the wind picks up. The wind often covers much of it in a strong blow, but a close neighbour can still hear one in light to moderate wind.
    2. The manufacturer publishes no noise figure for the turbines themselves (the "65 dB or less" on some Specs tabs is the controller's), so we don't quote one.
    • On a building, use vibration isolators — a turbine bolted to a structure carries its sound into the rooms — and check your council's rules on noise, height and placement before you order a mast.
    • It will turn, but turning is not charging. The blades start turning at 2 to 2.5 m/s (about 7 to 9 km/h) — a light breeze.
    • Charging starts at the cut-in speed: 3 m/s (about 11 km/h) on every model except the X-300, which starts and charges from 2 m/s. Output then climbs steeply with wind speed.
    1. The rated figure is measured much higher — 10 to 14 m/s depending on the model, a 36 to 50 km/h wind, not a normal afternoon. Each product page's spec table gives that model's own numbers.
    • A gentle breeze keeps the turbine ticking over; it takes real wind to push real power into your batteries. Every horizontal model has its measured power curve published on its product page — work from that, not from the number in the product name.
    • No — small turbines are built to spin fast. The smaller the rotor, the faster it has to turn to keep its blade tips up with the wind: the M-400's 1.35 m rotor runs at about 800 rpm, the M-600 and M-800 at about 500, the big G-series at 300.
    • In the manufacturer's words, the high rpm is a design necessity, not a defect. A slower generator would need a bigger stator and more magnets and copper — heavier and dearer.
    • They start turning at 2 to 2.5 m/s and make power right across the wind range — just less when the wind is light. What you get depends on your site and how high you mount it.
    • Yes — connect the turbine to a battery bank first, through a dedicated charge controller.
    1. Never straight to an inverter. Connecting a wind turbine directly to a standard inverter will damage the equipment or cause the system to fail.

    The Correct Order:

    • 1. Wind Turbine — generates wild, fluctuating 3-phase AC as the wind changes.
    • 2. Hybrid or Wind Charge Controller — converts it to steady DC, and protects the turbine from over-speeding with an electronic brake.
    • 3. Battery Bank (12 V, 24 V or 48 V) — absorbs the gusts and provides a steady source of energy.
    • 4. Off-Grid Inverter — connects to the battery, converting stored DC into AC for your appliances.

    Why you Cannot Skip the Battery:

    1. Unstable Voltage: wind changes second by second. Without a battery to smooth it out, a direct-connected inverter would constantly cut out.
    2. Turbine Damage: when a battery is disconnected, the turbine loses its load. Without that resistance the blades can spin out of control in high wind and destroy the unit. The controller uses the battery connection to dump excess power and slow it down.
    • A wind turbine must run through a dedicated wind charge controller (pure-wind or wind-solar hybrid) with a dump-load resistor. The dump load stops the turbine over-speeding and damaging itself in high winds once your batteries are full.
    1. The turbine generates 3-phase AC power and cannot be connected directly to a battery, a solar controller or a home inverter.
    • Installation and commissioning must be carried out by a suitably qualified and licensed electrician.
    • The cable from the turbine to the controller is 3-core copper.
    • A DC breaker goes between the controller and the battery — never a plain breaker on the turbine wires; the controller brakes the turbine itself.
    • Cable, breakers, isolators and all protective devices are selected to suit your site and are the electrician's call, not ours.

  • It is almost always one of three installation issues. Check them in order.

    Quick Checks — Tick as You Go

    • Is the Meter Set to AC Volts (V~)?
    • Is There a Short in the Wiring or Controller?
    • Is the Cable from the Mast Heavy Enough for the Run?

    1. The Multimeter is Set to DC — The Most Common Mistake.

    1. Measuring the three turbine wires with the meter set to DC volts gives a false reading near zero.
    • Wind turbines generate 3-phase AC directly from the stator. Switch the meter to AC volts (V~).

    2. The Turbine is Stalling Because of a Short.

    1. The blades turn heavily and slowly, or lock up: if any of the three AC output wires touch each other, or the controller's braking diodes have short-circuited, it acts as a magnetic brake — the turbine can never spin fast enough to build voltage.
    • Stop it and Unplug it Safely — Brake First. On a calm day, put the controller's brake on (if it has one) and wait for the blades to stop completely. The turbine cable is live whenever the blades turn; even with the brake on, don't touch anything until they have stopped.
    • Unplug the turbine and join its three wires together on the turbine side of the cable, so it stays braked. Don't leave it spinning unplugged.
    • Then have your electrician check the wiring and the controller for the short, or contact us and we will help you sort it out. Reconnect it the same way you start up: blades still, take the three wires apart, plug it in, then release the brake (if it has one).

    3. Voltage Drop from Thin Cable.

    1. Thin solar or automotive cable over 20 metres or more loses the power as heat before it reaches the controller.
    • Use heavy cable between the mast and the controller on long runs — minimum 8 AWG, ideally 6 AWG. Final sizing is your electrician's call.
    • The cable from the turbine to the controller is 3-core copper, because the turbine puts out three-phase AC. Too thin a cable also weakens the brake, because the controller brakes through it.
    • The number in the name is a peak rating, not a promise.
    • A turbine's rated output is measured at a specific wind speed — 10 to 14 m/s depending on the model, which is about 36 to 50 km/h — and most sites see far less than that most of the time.
    • Your display shows what the wind is delivering right now, so it will sit well below the rated figure and move second by second as the wind changes. That is physics, not a fault.
    • As an example, the L2-2500 is rated 2,500 W at 11 m/s. On a decent steady coastal breeze of 7 m/s the manufacturer's own curve gives about 813 W. That is why we publish the full power curve on every horizontal turbine's product page.
    • Where these machines earn their keep is time: they keep charging through the night and through the weather that shuts solar down.
    1. If the display shows 0 W while the blades are spinning, that is a different problem — see the 0 W question.
    • Not necessarily — this is one of the most common questions we get, and it is rarely a faulty unit.
    • It is usually a quick settings check, or (on a first-time install) how the wiring and start-up sequence were done.
    • See our full Wind Turbine 0W Troubleshooting Guide for the complete walkthrough, or the Set-Up Guide — or contact us and we will help you sort it out.
    • Wire your bus bar and breakers, then power up in the right order. Getting the sequence right prevents almost all wiring issues, including the common "spinning but 0 W" problem.
    • Fit a breaker on the solar side (if fitted), and a DC breaker or fuse between the controller and the battery, close to the battery, landing on a DC bus bar. Your electrician will confirm what the wiring rules need for your site.
    1. Don't put a plain breaker or isolator on the turbine wires. Cutting that line while the blades turn lets the turbine overspeed.
    • You don't need an extra switch there either — the controller brakes the turbine itself.
    • The cable from the turbine to the controller is 3-core copper. Allow the full height of the tower plus the run across to the controller; your electrician sizes it from the voltage, current and length.

    Starting Up — Begin at the Battery

    • 1. Switch the battery breaker on first. The controller powers up.
    • 2. Switch the solar on, if fitted.
    • 3. Turbine Last: on a calm day, with the blades still and the controller's brake on, take the three turbine wires apart, plug the turbine in, then release the brake. (A controller with no hand brake: skip the brake.)
    • See our full How to Install & Start Up guide for the complete step-by-step walkthrough and wiring diagram.
    • The controller brakes the turbine by joining its three wires together. It slows the blades but doesn't lock them dead.
    • Every controller we sell does this automatically when the battery is full or the voltage, current or speed climbs too high.
    • By Hand: WW series — flip the BRAKE switch, or press and hold the button for 5 seconds. WCMD — press the button and set the charging mode on the screen to "no charging". The Mars, Meteor and blue hybrids have no hand brake.
    • Every brake needs the battery, the WW's BRAKE switch included. Take the battery away and the brake lets go, so the turbine always comes off before the battery does.

    Shutting Down — Finish at the Battery

    • 1. Brake on (no hand brake: a calm day). Wait for the blades to stop completely.
    • 2. Unplug the turbine and join its three wires together, so it stays braked.
    • 3. Switch the solar off.
    • 4. Switch the battery breaker off last.
    • The same steps switch the system off for weeks.
    1. The turbine cable is live whenever the blades turn. Even with the brake on, wait until they have stopped completely before you touch anything.
    1. No. Don't put a plain breaker or isolator on the turbine wires: cutting that line while the blades turn lets the turbine overspeed.
    • You don't need an extra switch there either — the controller brakes the turbine itself.
    • Fit a DC breaker or fuse between the controller and the battery, close to the battery, so you can isolate the system before you touch anything. Your electrician will confirm what the wiring rules need for your site. That protects you, and it protects your new turbine and the rest of your power system.

  • Taking it Out

    • 1. Put the brake on (if it has one) and wait for the blades to stop completely. Do this on a calm day.
    • 2. Unplug the turbine and join its three wires together, so it stays braked. Then unplug the dump load, and the solar if fitted.
    • 3. Switch the battery breaker off last.
    • 4. Wait at least 5 minutes before you touch the controller — it holds a charge for a few minutes after the power is off.

    Putting it Back

    • 1. On a calm day, with the blades stopped and the battery breaker off, plug in the dump load and the solar if fitted. Then take the three turbine wires apart and plug the turbine in, with the brake on (if it has one).
    • 2. Switch the battery breaker on.
    • 3. Release the brake last (if it has one).

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