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 or 20kW 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 catalog are categorized 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.
-
Yes.These turbines have an incredibly low startup wind speed of just 2.0 m/s, meaning the blades will begin rotating in a very gentle breeze. However, please note that physical power generation only starts accumulating once wind speeds consistently clear 4 to 5 m/s.
-
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 caused by one of three common installation errors. Check these variables in order: Checking the Multi-Meter Setting (Most Common Mistake)
- The Issue: The customer is likely measuring the three wires coming out of the turbine using a DC voltage setting on their multimeter.
- The Reality: Wind turbines generate 3-Phase AC power directly from the stator.
- The Fix: Instruct them to switch their multi-meter to AC Voltage (V~). Testing the wires under a DC setting will provide a false, completely inaccurate reading near zero.
2. The Turbine is Stalling Due to Incorrect Wiring
- The Issue: The turbine blades are spinning heavily but turning very slowly or locking up because of an electrical short.
- The Reality: If any of the three AC output wires are accidentally touching each other, or if the controller's internal braking diodes have short-circuited, it creates a magnetic brake. This bogs down the turbine, physically stopping it from spinning fast enough to build voltage.
- The Fix: Have them completely disconnect the turbine from the controller. If the turbine suddenly unbogs and spins much faster when disconnected, the problem is a short circuit in the wiring or a faulty controller.
3. Voltage Drop Caused by Thin Cables
- The Issue: The customer ran thin wiring over a long distance from the tower down to the battery shed.
- The Reality: If they used standard thin solar cables or thin automotive wire over a long distance (e.g., 20+ metres), the natural resistance of the copper wire will choke out the electricity. The energy is lost as heat inside the wire before it ever reaches the meter.
- The Fix: Ensure they are using heavy-duty, minimum 8 AWG or 6 AWG thick cable lines between the mast and the controller house
-
Wind turbines are rated byCumulative Daily Capacity, not instantaneous hourly peak output. Because wind speeds fluctuate constantly second-by-second, a 1200W turbine is designed to yield up to 1200W of total poweraccumulated over a 24-hour periodin optimal conditions (averaging roughly 50W per hour). This constant, steady trickle is exactly what makes vertical turbines perfect for maintaining batteries overnight when solar panels are offline.
-
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 this sequence right prevents almost all wiring issues, including the common "spinning but 0W" problem. Answer (rich text field, with the link placeholder): 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.
Pure Copper Electrical Terminal Connectors
Tracking
Tracking
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Simply enter the tracking number sent to your email to see exactly where your package is and when it is estimated to arrive.
Note: It may take 24-48 hours for tracking information to update after your order has been dispatched.
Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
At Bushline, we believe getting your gear should be easy. That is why we offer Free Standard Shipping to every customer in Australia and New Zealand. No minimum spend, no surcharges.
How Long It Takes
We quote these times from the day you place your order, not from the day we dispatch it. That is the number that actually matters to you, and quoting it any other way just moves the goalposts.
- Most gear: 10 to 14 days from the day you order. Allow up to 3 weeks.
- New Zealand: Same as above. NZ orders run to the same timeframe as Australian ones.
- Large wind turbines: Allow up to 5 weeks. These are heavy, oversized units and they travel on slower freight than everything else.
- Regional & remote areas: Please allow extra time on top of the above.
Dispatch & Tracking
- Pick & Pack: We aim to dispatch within one business day (Monday to Friday). Most orders go out within two.
- Weekends: Orders placed on weekends or public holidays are processed the next business day.
- Tracking: You will get a Shipping Confirmation email with your tracking number as soon as your order ships.
If Your Order Is Running Late
Ring 0400 333 898 or email Support@BushLine.com.au and we will chase the tracking ourselves rather than sending you off to do it. You will get a straight answer on where it is, including if it has not moved.
Need A Large Turbine Sooner?
Expedited freight is available on the big units at extra cost, which brings delivery down to roughly a fortnight. It is quoted per order because it depends on the size of the unit and where it is going. Get in touch before you order and we will price it for you.
A lug is only as good as the crimp behind it.
Bare cable clamped straight under a bolt head is the joint that gives trouble later. The strands spread, only a few of them carry the load, the bolt loosens with vibration, and the connection starts running warmer than the cable either side of it. On a battery bank that joint is carrying every amp your inverter draws.
A copper tube lug fixes that by turning the cable end into a solid, flat ring. You strip the insulation, seat the conductor in the barrel, crimp it, and bolt the ring flat against the bus bar, breaker post or battery terminal. Full contact area, one fastener, nothing to spread. These are SC-type lugs in pure copper, cold-pressed for crimping, in seven conductor sizes from SC4 to SC50 with stud holes from 4mm to 12mm.
Two honest limits. First, the crimp does the work — a hex or indent crimper matched to the barrel is the difference between a joint that lasts twenty years and one you replace next summer. Bolt cutters and hammers do not count. Second, we sell SC4 up to SC50 and nothing above it. If you are running 70mm² or 95mm² cable to an inverter, these will not suit you, so do not order the biggest one and hope.
What It Solves
- Battery bank leads: making up 25mm² or 35mm² interconnects between cells and the main isolator, with a flat ring that sits properly on the post.
- Bus bar terminations: a shed or workshop DC bus bar where six or eight circuits land on one bar and every one of them needs a matching stud hole.
- Farm and site plant: repairing chewed or corroded cable ends on pumps, gensets and machinery without waiting on a made-up lead.
- Van and 4WD builds: running 16mm² from the DC-DC charger to the auxiliary battery and needing an 8mm stud hole at one end and a 6mm at the other.
- Boat and shack rewires: stripping out old bolted-and-taped joints and putting proper terminations on every cable end in one go.
Key Features
- Pure copper barrel: copper conductor into a copper lug, so you are not introducing a second metal into the joint.
- Seven conductor sizes: SC4, SC6, SC10, SC16, SC25, SC35 and SC50 — matched to 4mm² through to 50mm² cable.
- Stud holes 4mm to 12mm: nineteen size combinations in total, so you can match the bolt already in your bus bar rather than drilling it out.
- Three holes on most sizes: SC10, SC25 and SC35 each come with a 6mm, 8mm or 10mm hole, which covers most bus bars and breaker posts.
- Closed tube barrel: the conductor seats inside a tube rather than a split ferrule, so nothing sticks out past the crimp.
- Cold-pressed for crimping: designed to be compressed with a crimper, not soldered — a soldered lug goes stiff where the solder wicks up the strands.
- Packs of 10 or 20: SC4 to SC16 come 20 to a pack, SC25 to SC50 come 10 to a pack. Enough to do both ends of several runs and keep spares.
- Flat bolting face: the ring lies flat against the bar so the contact area is the whole palm of the lug, not the edge of a strand.
- Takes standard heatshrink: the barrel gives you something to shrink over, which keeps moisture and stray tools off the joint.
Where This Fits
Wiring an off-grid system means making up your own cable ends. This is one of the tools for that job — here's the rest of the picture:
- Wind turbines: vertical axis turbines from 1kW to 20kW — 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.
Cable sizing depends on your run length, voltage and current, and a bad crimp is the connection that heats up later — check the sizing against your own run or ask your sparky before you make up anything you can't undo.
Q & A
What does a name like SC10-8 actually mean?
Under the standard naming convention for copper tube terminals, the first number is the conductor cross-section in mm² and the second is the stud hole diameter in mm. So SC10-8 takes 10mm² cable and bolts onto an 8mm stud. That is the industry convention rather than a figure the supplier publishes, so measure your cable and your bolt before you order a full pack.
Which lug do I need for my cable?
Match the lug to the cross-section of the conductor, not the outside diameter of the insulation. Common off-grid runs land on 6mm² and 10mm² for lighting and small loads, 16mm² and 25mm² for charger and solar feeds, and 35mm² or 50mm² for inverter and battery leads. If your cable is marked in AWG, convert it to mm² first — 4 AWG is roughly 25mm², 1/0 AWG is roughly 50mm². If you are not certain, take an offcut to your sparky.
How do I pick the stud hole size?
The hole has to match the bolt already in your bus bar, breaker post or battery terminal — not the other way around. Drilling a lug out to fit a bigger bolt removes copper from the part of the lug carrying current, and a hole that is too big lets the ring shift under the washer. Measure the stud first, then choose the second number.
Can I solder these instead of crimping?
We would not. Solder wicks up the strands above the barrel and creates a stiff section that fatigues where it flexes, and it does not hold up to vibration in a vehicle or on plant. Use a hex or indent crimper sized to the barrel. If you only have a hammer-style crimper, it will make a joint, but it will not be as consistent as a proper die.
Do you sell SC70 or SC95?
No. This listing runs SC4 to SC50 and stops there. Anything above 50mm² is not stocked here, so if your inverter leads are 70mm² or 95mm² you will need to source those elsewhere.
Are they tinned, and what current will they carry?
Neither is specified by the supplier. The listing states pure copper construction, but plating, current rating and barrel dimensions are not published, so we are not going to put a number on them. In practice a lug is sized to the cable, and the cable rating is what limits the circuit — size the cable properly and the lug follows.
Specs
| Specification | Detail |
| Type | SC-type copper tube cable lug (ring terminal) |
| Material | Pure copper |
| Termination method | Cold-pressed crimp |
| Sizes offered | SC4, SC6, SC10, SC16, SC25, SC35, SC50 — 19 size and stud combinations |
| SC4 options | SC4-4, SC4-5, SC4-6 — 20 per pack |
| SC6 options | SC6-6, SC6-8 — 20 per pack |
| SC10 options | SC10-6, SC10-8, SC10-10 — 20 per pack |
| SC16 options | SC16-6, SC16-8 — 20 per pack |
| SC25 options | SC25-6, SC25-8, SC25-10 — 10 per pack |
| SC35 options | SC35-6, SC35-8, SC35-10 — 10 per pack |
| SC50 options | SC50-8, SC50-10, SC50-12 — 10 per pack |
| Pack quantity | 20 per pack for SC4 to SC16; 10 per pack for SC25 to SC50 |
| Stud hole range | 4mm to 12mm, depending on the size chosen |
| Naming convention | Standard copper tube terminal convention: first number is conductor cross-section in mm², second is stud hole diameter in mm. Industry convention, not a supplier statement |
| Current rating | Not specified by supplier |
| Barrel length and overall dimensions | Not specified by supplier |
| Plating or surface finish | Not specified by supplier |
| Recommended crimp die | Not specified by supplier |
| Temperature rating | Not specified by supplier |
| Certification | Not specified by supplier |
| Country of origin | Not specified by supplier |
Watch Me
No video for this one yet. If you want to see it working before you buy, email help@bushline.com.au and we'll get footage up.
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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 or 20kW 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 catalog are categorized 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.
-
Yes.These turbines have an incredibly low startup wind speed of just 2.0 m/s, meaning the blades will begin rotating in a very gentle breeze. However, please note that physical power generation only starts accumulating once wind speeds consistently clear 4 to 5 m/s.
-
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 caused by one of three common installation errors. Check these variables in order: Checking the Multi-Meter Setting (Most Common Mistake)
- The Issue: The customer is likely measuring the three wires coming out of the turbine using a DC voltage setting on their multimeter.
- The Reality: Wind turbines generate 3-Phase AC power directly from the stator.
- The Fix: Instruct them to switch their multi-meter to AC Voltage (V~). Testing the wires under a DC setting will provide a false, completely inaccurate reading near zero.
2. The Turbine is Stalling Due to Incorrect Wiring
- The Issue: The turbine blades are spinning heavily but turning very slowly or locking up because of an electrical short.
- The Reality: If any of the three AC output wires are accidentally touching each other, or if the controller's internal braking diodes have short-circuited, it creates a magnetic brake. This bogs down the turbine, physically stopping it from spinning fast enough to build voltage.
- The Fix: Have them completely disconnect the turbine from the controller. If the turbine suddenly unbogs and spins much faster when disconnected, the problem is a short circuit in the wiring or a faulty controller.
3. Voltage Drop Caused by Thin Cables
- The Issue: The customer ran thin wiring over a long distance from the tower down to the battery shed.
- The Reality: If they used standard thin solar cables or thin automotive wire over a long distance (e.g., 20+ metres), the natural resistance of the copper wire will choke out the electricity. The energy is lost as heat inside the wire before it ever reaches the meter.
- The Fix: Ensure they are using heavy-duty, minimum 8 AWG or 6 AWG thick cable lines between the mast and the controller house
-
Wind turbines are rated byCumulative Daily Capacity, not instantaneous hourly peak output. Because wind speeds fluctuate constantly second-by-second, a 1200W turbine is designed to yield up to 1200W of total poweraccumulated over a 24-hour periodin optimal conditions (averaging roughly 50W per hour). This constant, steady trickle is exactly what makes vertical turbines perfect for maintaining batteries overnight when solar panels are offline.
-
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 this sequence right prevents almost all wiring issues, including the common "spinning but 0W" problem. Answer (rich text field, with the link placeholder): 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.
