ST-10kW Vertical Tulip Wind Turbine | 12V 24V 48V Off-Grid

It's the winter run that catches people out.

Short days, heavy cloud, a week of rain — and the batteries never quite get back to full. You start rationing. The fridge stays on, the rest gets switched off, and by the third overcast day you're running the generator you swore you'd never need.

That's the gap wind fills. Wind blows at night, in cloud, and hardest in the exact weather that shuts solar down. The ST-10kW Tulip turbine is a vertical-axis, permanent magnet maglev generator built to run alongside your existing solar and keep the bank topped up when the sun isn't doing it.

Straight up about what this is: it's a serious turbine — 10kW rated — but no single turbine replaces a properly sized solar array. Wind and solar work as a pair. If you're after one unit to run a whole house on its own, this isn't it, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling you something.

Problem Solving / Benefits

Stop rationing in winter: when solar output drops off in June and July, wind picks up. The two seasons work against each other, which is exactly why running both smooths out the year.
Charges overnight: solar stops at sunset. Wind doesn't. Overnight generation is the difference between waking up to a full bank or a flat one.
Keeps the generator off: every hour the diesel isn't running is fuel you haven't carted in, and maintenance you haven't done. On a remote block that adds up fast.
Goes where a horizontal won't: vertical blades take wind from any direction, so you don't need a clean prevailing airflow or a tall mast. Mounts from 2 metres.
Quiet near the house: vertical axis at low tip speed is quiet — no mechanical roar, and the visible vertical profile is safe for birdlife. Suits sheds, homesteads, boats and outbuildings.

Key Features

10kW rated output — peaking at 11kW.
12V, 24V and 48V configurations to match your existing battery bank, charge controller and inverter.
Starts turning at 1.5 m/s (5.4 km/h) — a light breeze. Cut-in for useful charging is 3.5 m/s, rated output at 13 m/s.
3-phase permanent magnet synchronous maglev generator — magnetic levitation cuts torque resistance, so the wheel keeps turning in lighter wind.
Rated to survive 45 m/s (162 km/h) — cyclone-region wind speeds.
IP67 waterproofing on the unit, IP54 on the generator. Rated from −40°C to +80°C.
ABS plastic fibre-reinforced blades, cast aluminium body, two-bearing swivel.
Electromagnetic braking for both overspeed and overload, with a load dump unit.
Approximately 20 year design life, grease lubricated, minimal maintenance.
Available in white, purple, blue and yellow.

Q & A

How long will it last?

Design life is around 20 years with proper maintenance. It's grease lubricated with a two-bearing swivel, so there isn't much to go wrong.

What is a hybrid controller, and do I need one?

A hybrid controller handles wind and solar together. You can keep using your existing solar controller for the panels if you'd rather — the hybrid just puts both on one unit.

Is it noisy?

No. Vertical axis turbines run at low tip speed and don't produce the mechanical roar horizontal turbines are known for. Suitable near houses and in built-up areas.

Can I run it with solar panels?

Yes, and you should. Wind and solar cover each other's gaps — solar carries summer and daylight, wind carries winter and overnight.

How many turbines do I need?

Depends on your energy use and your site. Multiple turbines grouped together produce more than the sum of their parts — the "bouquet effect".

Be realistic here. It's a common misconception that one or two small turbines will run a home or business. It's no different from asking whether a single solar panel will run a house. For smaller purchases, we recommend off-grid battery charging, lighting and similar loads rather than trying to carry a whole property.

Is the output AC or DC, and at what voltage?

Both, at different stages. The shaft drives a generator producing unregulated AC. That passes through a rectifier in the charge controller and comes out as DC. From there the DC can power DC appliances directly, charge a battery bank, or feed an inverter. If it's charging a battery, the voltage needs to match the bank.

Do I need an electrician?

Yes. All wind turbines and solar controllers must be installed by a qualified specialist. Damage from DIY installation or improper wiring isn't covered — see our Return Policy.

Specs

Model	ST-10kW
Rated power	10kW
Maximum power	11kW
Rated voltage	12V, 24V or 48V
Start-up wind speed	1.5 m/s (5.4 km/h)
Cut-in wind speed	3.5 m/s
Rated wind speed	13 m/s (46.8 km/h)
Survival wind speed	45 m/s (162 km/h)
Blade length	1050 mm to 1300 mm
Wind wheel diameter	Approx. 800 mm
Number of blades	2
Blade material	ABS plastic, fibre reinforced
Weight	25 kg
Generator type	3-phase permanent magnet synchronous maglev
Control system	Electromagnetic
Overspeed protection	Electromagnetic brake
Overload protection	Electromagnetic brake and load dump unit
Generator protection grade	IP54
Waterproof level	IP67
Working temperature	−40°C to +80°C
Working humidity	Below 90%
Lubrication	Grease
Mount height	2 to 10 metres
Colours	White, purple, blue, yellow
Design life	Approx. 20 years
Mounting	Tube or flange connection

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.

Typical Off-Grid Wiring Layout

Off-grid wiring layout — vertical axis wind turbine and solar panel into a hybrid MPPT controller, with dump load, main battery circuit breaker, DC bus bar, 12V 24V 48V battery bank and inverter

What Else You'll Need

A turbine on a pole is only half a system. This is the gear that goes between it and your batteries, and why it matters.

3-pin Anderson plug: wire one in between the turbine and the controller and you can unplug the whole turbine — drop it for maintenance, swap it out, or take it off the van before you travel. Five minutes' work and you'll thank yourself later.
Bus bars: where everything lands before it reaches the battery. Properly rated 48V bus bars are genuinely hard to find — most of what's sold online is light-duty gear. There's also a 500A marine version.
Breakers and isolators: one on every input and output, 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. Also a DIN-rail mini breaker and a 100A–300A rotary isolator.
Cable and lugs: flexible copper cable, shielded 2 and 3 core, and a lug crimper if you're making up your own runs.

Straight up on cable sizing: it depends on your run length, your system voltage and your current, and every setup is a bit different. What we stock covers 48V systems and the shorter runs on smaller turbines well. If you're building 12V or 24V, check the sizing against your own run and talk to your sparky — we'd rather you fitted the right cable than the one we happen to have on the shelf.

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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:
1. Wind Turbine: Generates wild, fluctuating 3-phase AC power as wind speeds change.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 FAQs

ST-10kW Vertical Tulip Wind Turbine 12V 24V 48V

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