Wind Turbine FAQs
-
Summary Checklist for Your Choice
Choose the SR or ST-1200W if you want portability, low noise, and minimal investment for camping or caravans.
Choose the ST-2000, ST-3000, or ST-5000 if you have a stationary house/cabin and want to supplement solar panels at night.
Choose the ST-10kW — the largest turbine we sell — if you have heavy agricultural power needs, acreage, and a budget for proper mast engineering.
The vertical axis wind turbines listed on the BushLine Outdoor Equipment catalogue are categorised by physical design shapes, which dictate their ideal applications.
-
No.Wind turbines generate "wild" 3-phase AC power that changes voltage constantly with the wind speed. Connecting it directly to a battery or a standard solar inverter will instantly destroy your equipment. Youmustwire the turbine into a dedicatedWind/Solar Hybrid MPPT Controller with an integrated Dump Load Resistor. The controller converts the power to stable DC to charge your batteries safely.
-
You must match the turbine and its hybrid controller to the exact voltage of your existing battery bank:
- 12V: Best for compact mobile setups like caravans, 4WDs, and camper trailers.
- 24V: Great for medium-sized setups like off-grid sheds, cabins, and motorhomes.
- 48V: The gold standard for full off-grid home systems. Higher voltage means less energy loss through your wires and allows you to use thinner, safer cables.
-
When your battery bank becomes 100% fully charged, it stops accepting power. If a heavy wind storm hits at night when your batteries are full, a turbine with nowhere to send its power will "free-spin" out of control and physically fly apart. A hybrid controller fixes this by automatically diverting that excess power into the dump load resistor, which burns it off safely as heat and acts as an electronic brake to slow the turbine down.
-
No,that is the main benefit of the vertical design. Traditional horizontal "propeller" turbines create a high-pitched, annoying "chopping" noise. Our ST Tulip and Flower series utilise advanced omnidirectional maglev-style bearings, making them virtually silent and completely vibration-free, all you will hear is the wind. They are perfect for suburban blocks, tight caravan parks, and areas close to neighbours.
-
It will turn, but turning is not charging. The blades start rotating at about 1.5 m/s — a light breeze. Charging starts once the wind clears the cut-in speed of about 3.5 m/s, and output climbs from there — the rated figure is measured at 13 m/s (about 47 km/h). A gentle breeze keeps the turbine ticking over; it takes real wind to push real power into your batteries.
-
You should connect the wind turbine to a battery bank first, via a dedicated charge controller, rather than directly to an inverter. Connecting a wind turbine directly to a standard inverter will damage the equipment or cause the system to fail.
🔋 The Correct Wiring SequenceTo safely capture and use the power, your setup must follow this exact order:
- Wind Turbine: Generates wild, fluctuating 3-phase AC power as wind speeds change.
- Hybrid/Wind Charge Controller: Converts the unstable AC power into steady DC power. It also protects the turbine from over-speeding by applying an electronic brake during high winds.
- Battery Bank (12V/24V/48V): Acts as a buffer to store the energy. It absorbs sudden power spikes from wind gusts and provides a steady source of energy.
- Off-Grid Inverter: Connects to the battery, converting the stored DC battery power into standard AC power for your household appliances.
⚠️ Why You Cannot Skip the Battery
- Unstable Voltage: Wind speeds change second by second. Without a battery to absorb and smooth out these massive fluctuations, a direct-connect inverter would constantly turn off and error out.
- Turbine Destruction: When a battery is full or disconnected, a wind turbine loses its "load" (resistance). Without that resistance, the blades can spin out of control in high winds and physically destroy the unit. The charge controller uses the battery connection to safely dump excess power and slow the turbine down.
-
Wiring & Installation Requirement:This wind turbine generates 3-phase AC power andcannotbe connected directly to a battery, solar controller, or home inverter. To operate safely, it must run through a dedicatedWind/Solar Hybrid MPPT Controller with an integrated Dump Load Resistor. The dump load prevents the turbine from over-speeding and destroying itself in high winds once your batteries are fully charged.
-
It is almost always one of three common installation issues. Check them in order:
1. Your multimeter is set to DC (the most common mistake).
- The issue: measuring the three turbine wires with the meter set to DC volts.
- The reality: wind turbines generate 3-phase AC power directly from the stator.
- The fix: switch your multimeter to AC volts (V~). Testing these wires on a DC setting gives a false reading near zero.
2. The turbine is stalling because of a short.
- The issue: the blades turn heavily and slowly, or lock up.
- The reality: if any of the three AC output wires touch each other, or the controller’s internal braking diodes have short-circuited, it acts as a magnetic brake — the turbine can never spin fast enough to build voltage.
- The fix: completely disconnect the turbine from the controller. If it suddenly frees up and spins much faster, the problem is a short in the wiring or a faulty controller.
3. Voltage drop from thin cables.
- The issue: thin wire run a long way from the tower to the battery shed.
- The reality: thin solar or automotive cable over a long run (20 metres or more) loses the power as heat in the wire before it reaches the controller.
- The fix: use heavy cable between the mast and the controller on long runs — minimum 8 AWG, ideally 6 AWG.
-
Because the number on the box is a peak rating, not a promise. A turbine’s rated output is measured at a specific wind speed — for these models that is 13 m/s, about 47 km/h — and most sites see far less 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 with the wind. That is physics, not a fault.
Where these turbines earn their keep is time: they keep charging through the night and through weather that shuts solar down. If the display shows 0 W while the blades are spinning, that is a different issue — see the 0 W question below.
-
Not necessarily — this is one of the most common questions we get, and it's rarely a faulty unit. It's 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 & Installation Guide for the complete walkthrough, or contact us and we'll help you sort it out.
-
Short answer: wire your bus bar and breakers before and after the controller, then power up in the right order — battery first, then solar, then wind. Getting the sequence right prevents almost all wiring issues, including the common “spinning but 0 W” problem.
Correct installation comes down to isolation and the right sequence:
- Fit a breaker before the controller (turbine/solar side) and after it (battery side), landing on a DC bus bar
- Keep the turbine-to-controller cable run to 2–10 metres to limit voltage drop
- Power up in this order: battery breaker first, then solar, then wind turbine last
See our full How to Install & Start Up guide for the complete step-by-step walkthrough and wiring diagram.
Wind Turbine Permanent Magnet Dynamo 12V 24V 48V
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Wind Turbine Permanent Magnet Dynamo 12V 24V 48V
A 5kW dynamo makes 5kW at 750 RPM, not at idle.
The generator is the part of a home-built turbine most people get wrong. Blades, a tail and a tower you can fabricate in a shed. A gearless alternator that still makes useful charge at the speed a rotor actually turns is the bit you have to buy.
This is a three-phase permanent magnet generator (PMG). The field comes from magnets in the rotor, so there is no excitation winding to energise and no gearbox or brushes to service. It is rated at 750 RPM and sold in five outputs — 2000W, 3000W, 5000W, 6000W and 7000W — each wound for a 12V, 24V or 48V bank. Pick the winding that matches the bank you already have, because it is set at the factory and can't be changed later.
Be clear on what it is not. There are no blades, no tail, no tower and no controller in the box. The output is unregulated three-phase AC that rises and falls with rotor speed, so it has to go through a rectifier and a hybrid charge controller before it reaches a battery. The rated wattage is what it makes at 750 RPM — spin it slower and you get a fraction of that. If your rotor won't reach rated speed in the wind or water flow you actually have, size down rather than up.
What It Solves
- Home-built wind turbine: you've got a rotor and a tower sorted and need a direct-drive head that charges without a gearbox in the way.
- Creek-fed micro-hydro: a station or farm with year-round flow can turn this off a pelton wheel or water wheel and charge day and night, not just when the sun's up.
- Shed and workshop supply: a work site or farm shed a long way from the meter box, where running mains out is the expensive option.
- Shack, hut or mooring: somewhere you only visit some weekends, where the bank needs topping up while nobody's there to run a generator.
- Repowering an old turbine: the tower and blades are fine but the original head is finished, and you want to keep the same battery voltage.
Key Features
- Permanent magnet field: the magnets sit in the rotor, so nothing has to be fed current to excite the field. It makes power from the first turn.
- Gearless direct drive: the rotor bolts to the shaft with no step-up gearbox between them, which removes the parts that normally need oil and replacement.
- Rated at 750 RPM: the quoted wattage is the figure at that speed. Match it against what your rotor will actually do before you order.
- Five output sizes: 2000W, 3000W, 5000W, 6000W and 7000W. There is no 4000W option in this range.
- Three system voltages: 12V, 24V and 48V windings, chosen at order. The winding is fixed — you can't reconfigure it on site.
- Three-phase output: three AC leads out to a rectifier or a hybrid controller, which is what turns it into DC your bank can take.
- Aluminium alloy housing: the shell is aluminium alloy over an iron core and shaft.
- Mounting base included: an iron base comes with it, so it can be bolted down without fabricating a cradle first.
- Two purchase options: generator on its own, or generator supplied with a matched electric motor.
Where This Fits
This is one part of the gear that sits between a wind turbine and your battery bank. Here's the whole picture:
- Wind turbines: vertical axis turbines from 1kW to 10kW — quiet enough to put near the house, and they charge overnight when your solar can't.
- Hybrid MPPT controllers: you can't wire a turbine straight to a battery. The controller rectifies the output, manages the charge, and brakes the turbine when the bank is full.
- The rest of the electrical range: bus bars, breakers, isolators, cable, lugs and Anderson plugs.
Every input and output wants a breaker or isolator on it, so you can safely shut down and isolate the turbine before you touch anything. That protects you, and it stops a surge damaging your new turbine or the rest of your power system. Cable sizing depends on your run length, voltage and current — if you're building 12V or 24V, check the sizing against your own run or ask your sparky.
Q & A
Can I wire this straight to my battery bank?
No. It puts out unregulated three-phase AC that varies with rotor speed, so it needs a rectifier and a hybrid charge controller in between. Have a look at the hybrid MPPT controllers — the controller also brakes the turbine once the bank is full, which the generator can't do on its own.
Which voltage should I order — 12V, 24V or 48V?
Match the bank you're charging. The winding is set at the factory, so this isn't a switch you flick later. Bear in mind the current: 5000W into a 12V bank is over 400A on the DC side, which means cable and breakers most people don't want to pay for. Above about 2kW, 48V is the easier system to wire.
Will it actually make its rated wattage?
At 750 RPM, that's the figure. Below that it falls away, and a rotor in light wind spends a lot of its life well below rated speed. Treat the wattage as a ceiling, not an average, and size your bank on what you realistically expect over a day.
What size is the shaft, and will my hub bolt to it?
The supplier doesn't publish shaft diameter, keyway or the mounting bolt pattern, and we're not going to guess a figure you'd machine to.
Is it weatherproof enough to sit on a tower?
Don't assume it will shrug off weather on its own. Plan on a nacelle or housing that keeps direct rain off it and lets it drain and breathe, the same as you would for any generator head.
Can I use it for micro-hydro instead of wind?
Yes — it doesn't care what turns it. The question is whether your head and flow will hold it near 750 RPM through a pelton wheel or water wheel. Steady flow suits it better than wind does, because the speed stays put.
What's the difference between the two purchase options?
"Only Generator" is the generator on its own. "Generator & Electric Motor" adds a matched motor and a shaft coupling, which is what people use for bench testing or for a motor-generator setup. If you're building a turbine or a hydro rig, the generator on its own is the one you want.
Specs
| Specification | Detail |
| Generator type | Three-phase permanent magnet generator (PMG), gearless direct drive |
| Power output options | 2000W, 3000W, 5000W, 6000W, 7000W (no 4000W) |
| System voltage options | 12V, 24V or 48V — winding set at order, not switchable |
| Rated speed | 750 RPM |
| Output type | Unregulated three-phase AC — requires a rectifier or hybrid charge controller |
| Cut-in speed | Not specified by supplier |
| Starting torque | No more than 0.15 Nm at 2000W, 0.2 Nm at 3000W and 0.75 Nm at 5000W, as stated by the supplier. No figure published for 6000W or 7000W |
| Rated torque | 2.3 Nm at 2000W, 5.7 Nm at 3000W and 6.2 Nm at 5000W, as stated by the supplier. No figure published for 6000W or 7000W |
| Rated output current | Not specified by supplier |
| Housing | Aluminium alloy |
| Core and shaft | Iron |
| Magnet material | NdFeB (neodymium iron boron) rare-earth magnets, as stated by the supplier |
| Mounting | Iron mounting base included |
| Shaft diameter and keyway | Not specified by supplier |
| Mounting bolt pattern | Not specified by supplier |
| Dimensions | Not specified by supplier |
| Weight | Not specified by supplier |
| Output leads and connector | Three flying leads, bare ends, no plug or connector fitted, going by the supplier's photographs. Lead length not specified |
| Ingress protection (IP) rating | Not verified. Treat the generator as unprotected and keep direct rain off it |
| Operating temperature range | -40°C to +80°C, as stated by the supplier |
| Certification | None stated by supplier |
| Purchase options | Generator only, or generator with a matched electric motor and shaft coupling |
| In the box | Generator and mounting base. No blades, tail, tower or controller |
| Delivery | Free delivery to Australia and New Zealand, no minimum spend. 10 to 14 days from order date, allow up to 3 weeks |
Turbine Spinning But Showing 0W?
It is almost never a faulty turbine or controller. Read the 0W troubleshooting & correct installation guide before you assume something is broken.
Watch Me
Everything we know about this one is written down: the Specs for the supplier's published figures, and the Q & A for the questions buyers ask before they order.
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Wind Turbine FAQs
-
Summary Checklist for Your Choice
Choose the SR or ST-1200W if you want portability, low noise, and minimal investment for camping or caravans.
Choose the ST-2000, ST-3000, or ST-5000 if you have a stationary house/cabin and want to supplement solar panels at night.
Choose the ST-10kW — the largest turbine we sell — if you have heavy agricultural power needs, acreage, and a budget for proper mast engineering.
The vertical axis wind turbines listed on the BushLine Outdoor Equipment catalogue are categorised by physical design shapes, which dictate their ideal applications.
-
No.Wind turbines generate "wild" 3-phase AC power that changes voltage constantly with the wind speed. Connecting it directly to a battery or a standard solar inverter will instantly destroy your equipment. Youmustwire the turbine into a dedicatedWind/Solar Hybrid MPPT Controller with an integrated Dump Load Resistor. The controller converts the power to stable DC to charge your batteries safely.
-
You must match the turbine and its hybrid controller to the exact voltage of your existing battery bank:
- 12V: Best for compact mobile setups like caravans, 4WDs, and camper trailers.
- 24V: Great for medium-sized setups like off-grid sheds, cabins, and motorhomes.
- 48V: The gold standard for full off-grid home systems. Higher voltage means less energy loss through your wires and allows you to use thinner, safer cables.
-
When your battery bank becomes 100% fully charged, it stops accepting power. If a heavy wind storm hits at night when your batteries are full, a turbine with nowhere to send its power will "free-spin" out of control and physically fly apart. A hybrid controller fixes this by automatically diverting that excess power into the dump load resistor, which burns it off safely as heat and acts as an electronic brake to slow the turbine down.
-
No,that is the main benefit of the vertical design. Traditional horizontal "propeller" turbines create a high-pitched, annoying "chopping" noise. Our ST Tulip and Flower series utilise advanced omnidirectional maglev-style bearings, making them virtually silent and completely vibration-free, all you will hear is the wind. They are perfect for suburban blocks, tight caravan parks, and areas close to neighbours.
-
It will turn, but turning is not charging. The blades start rotating at about 1.5 m/s — a light breeze. Charging starts once the wind clears the cut-in speed of about 3.5 m/s, and output climbs from there — the rated figure is measured at 13 m/s (about 47 km/h). A gentle breeze keeps the turbine ticking over; it takes real wind to push real power into your batteries.
-
You should connect the wind turbine to a battery bank first, via a dedicated charge controller, rather than directly to an inverter. Connecting a wind turbine directly to a standard inverter will damage the equipment or cause the system to fail.
🔋 The Correct Wiring SequenceTo safely capture and use the power, your setup must follow this exact order:
- Wind Turbine: Generates wild, fluctuating 3-phase AC power as wind speeds change.
- Hybrid/Wind Charge Controller: Converts the unstable AC power into steady DC power. It also protects the turbine from over-speeding by applying an electronic brake during high winds.
- Battery Bank (12V/24V/48V): Acts as a buffer to store the energy. It absorbs sudden power spikes from wind gusts and provides a steady source of energy.
- Off-Grid Inverter: Connects to the battery, converting the stored DC battery power into standard AC power for your household appliances.
⚠️ Why You Cannot Skip the Battery
- Unstable Voltage: Wind speeds change second by second. Without a battery to absorb and smooth out these massive fluctuations, a direct-connect inverter would constantly turn off and error out.
- Turbine Destruction: When a battery is full or disconnected, a wind turbine loses its "load" (resistance). Without that resistance, the blades can spin out of control in high winds and physically destroy the unit. The charge controller uses the battery connection to safely dump excess power and slow the turbine down.
-
Wiring & Installation Requirement:This wind turbine generates 3-phase AC power andcannotbe connected directly to a battery, solar controller, or home inverter. To operate safely, it must run through a dedicatedWind/Solar Hybrid MPPT Controller with an integrated Dump Load Resistor. The dump load prevents the turbine from over-speeding and destroying itself in high winds once your batteries are fully charged.
-
It is almost always one of three common installation issues. Check them in order:
1. Your multimeter is set to DC (the most common mistake).
- The issue: measuring the three turbine wires with the meter set to DC volts.
- The reality: wind turbines generate 3-phase AC power directly from the stator.
- The fix: switch your multimeter to AC volts (V~). Testing these wires on a DC setting gives a false reading near zero.
2. The turbine is stalling because of a short.
- The issue: the blades turn heavily and slowly, or lock up.
- The reality: if any of the three AC output wires touch each other, or the controller’s internal braking diodes have short-circuited, it acts as a magnetic brake — the turbine can never spin fast enough to build voltage.
- The fix: completely disconnect the turbine from the controller. If it suddenly frees up and spins much faster, the problem is a short in the wiring or a faulty controller.
3. Voltage drop from thin cables.
- The issue: thin wire run a long way from the tower to the battery shed.
- The reality: thin solar or automotive cable over a long run (20 metres or more) loses the power as heat in the wire before it reaches the controller.
- The fix: use heavy cable between the mast and the controller on long runs — minimum 8 AWG, ideally 6 AWG.
-
Because the number on the box is a peak rating, not a promise. A turbine’s rated output is measured at a specific wind speed — for these models that is 13 m/s, about 47 km/h — and most sites see far less 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 with the wind. That is physics, not a fault.
Where these turbines earn their keep is time: they keep charging through the night and through weather that shuts solar down. If the display shows 0 W while the blades are spinning, that is a different issue — see the 0 W question below.
-
Not necessarily — this is one of the most common questions we get, and it's rarely a faulty unit. It's 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 & Installation Guide for the complete walkthrough, or contact us and we'll help you sort it out.
-
Short answer: wire your bus bar and breakers before and after the controller, then power up in the right order — battery first, then solar, then wind. Getting the sequence right prevents almost all wiring issues, including the common “spinning but 0 W” problem.
Correct installation comes down to isolation and the right sequence:
- Fit a breaker before the controller (turbine/solar side) and after it (battery side), landing on a DC bus bar
- Keep the turbine-to-controller cable run to 2–10 metres to limit voltage drop
- Power up in this order: battery breaker first, then solar, then wind turbine last
See our full How to Install & Start Up guide for the complete step-by-step walkthrough and wiring diagram.
