Install your Wind Turbine + Solar Hybrid System — Correctly, the First Time
Following this sequence prevents the single most common support issue we see: a turbine that spins but never charges the battery. Take it step by step, and don't power anything up until every connection in a step is complete.
Reference Wiring Diagram
Safety Notes
Read these before you start.
- This has to be installed by a qualified electrician — it's a safety requirement and a warranty requirement. All wind turbines, solar controllers and technical electrical equipment must be installed by a licensed specialist. We don't cover damage caused by DIY installation or improper wiring, and if you ever need to return an electrical item as faulty you'll be asked for proof of professional installation — an electrician's invoice — before the warranty can be honoured. Keep that invoice somewhere safe. Full detail in our Return Policy.
- The wind generator can produce high voltages — risk of electric shock.
- Your electrician will also earth the tower and fit lightning protection where your site needs it.
- Never Disconnect the Turbine While the Blades are Turning. The turbine cable is live whenever the blades turn, and unplugging it can cause a high-voltage arc and lets the turbine overspeed with nothing to load it. Put the controller's brake on, and even with the brake on, wait until the blades have stopped completely before you touch anything.
- Connect the wind turbine last: on a calm day, with the blades still.
- Don't disconnect the battery from the controller while it's operating normally.
- Don't run the controller without a battery connected.
- Mount the dump load resistor where it can dissipate heat safely, away from anything flammable.
- All breakers must be DC rated and correctly sized for the equipment they protect.
What you'll Need
- Your wind turbine, solar panel(s) if fitted, and hybrid MPPT controller
- A 12V/24V/48V battery bank matching your controller and turbine's rated voltage
- A DC bus bar (positive and negative) for the battery side of the system
- DC-rated circuit breakers/isolators — one main battery breaker between the controller and the battery, one for solar (if fitted), and one for the inverter/load, each correctly sized for the equipment they protect. A DC breaker goes between the controller and the battery — never a plain breaker on the turbine wires; the controller brakes the turbine itself.
- The external dump load resistor supplied with your controller
- Appropriately rated cable for each run, plus terminals/lugs and a crimping tool
Step-by-Step Installation
1. Set Up the DC Bus Bar & Main Battery Breaker
Mount your positive and negative DC bus bars near the battery bank. Wire the battery bank to the bus bar, then fit the main battery breaker in the positive line between the bus bar and the controller. Leave it OFF for now.
2. Wire the Controller's Battery Connection
Run a short, direct cable from the controller's BATTERY output through the main battery breaker to the bus bar. Keep this run as short as practical — it minimises resistive losses and voltage drop, and makes the whole system easier to inspect later. Leave the breaker OFF.
3. Wire the Solar Input (If Fitted)
Fit a dedicated breaker between your solar panel(s) and the controller's PV input. Leave it OFF for now.
4. Wire the Wind Turbine Input
Run the turbine cable straight into the controller's WIND input. 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. Leave the turbine unplugged at the controller for now. On a calm day, with the blades still, join its three wires together so it stays braked — it goes in last (see the start-up sequence below).
The cable from the turbine to the controller is 3-core copper, because the turbine puts out three-phase AC. Common sizes are 2.5, 4, 6, 10 and 16 mm² — thicker for bigger turbines and longer runs. Your electrician sizes it from the voltage, current and length, not the watts alone. Allow the full height of the tower plus the run across to the controller. Too thin a cable also weakens the brake, because the controller brakes through it. Longer or thinner cable runs add resistance, which causes voltage drop — and enough voltage drop can stop the turbine's voltage from ever clearing the battery voltage at the controller, which shows up as the exact same "spinning but 0W" symptom as a settings issue.
5. Connect the External Dump Load Resistor
Wire the dump load resistor supplied with your controller to the controller's DUMP terminals. This is a required part of the install, not optional — the controller uses it to safely shed excess wind energy once the battery is full or wind is strong. Mount it somewhere it can dissipate heat safely, away from anything flammable.
6. Wire the Inverter/Load (If Fitted)
Fit a separate breaker between the bus bar and your inverter (or other DC loads), independent of the controller's own breaker. This lets you isolate your loads without having to touch the charging side of the system.
7. Double-Check Everything Before Powering Up
- All breakers are OFF.
- Every terminal is tight — no loose strands, no insulation trapped under a screw.
- Polarity is correct throughout (+ to +, − to −).
- The turbine is stationary, or in calm/low-wind conditions.
What a Turbine Brake Actually Does
A wind turbine's generator puts out power on three wires. Join those three wires together and the generator works against itself: it loads up hard and the blades slow right down. That is the brake — a short across the three turbine wires. It slows the rotor; it doesn't lock it dead. The blades can turn a few more times before they stop, and the cable is live for as long as they turn.
The Automatic Brake — Every Controller we Sell
Every controller watches the turbine all the time. When the battery is full, or the voltage, current or speed climbs too high, it sends the extra power into the dump load — a big resistor that turns it into heat — and brakes the turbine when it needs to. You don't touch anything; it looks after itself.
Storm coming? The brake won't hold the blades in a gale. If you can, secure the blades so they can't turn, or lower the tower, before it arrives — never climb or go near the blades while they're turning.
The WW Series — A Brake Switch Built in
The WW controllers (the kit controller on the L1, L2, H and G turbines) have a BRAKE switch on the outside, set up at the factory — nothing to wire, just flip it to brake. Every WW model also lets you press and hold the button for 5 seconds — the red dump-load light comes on.
Every Brake Needs the Battery
On every controller we sell, the brake runs on battery power — the WW's BRAKE switch included. Take the battery away and the brake lets go, and a turbine still wired to the controller will spin freely. The WCMD (the kit controller on the X-300, M-400, M-600 and M-800) lets you put the brake on by hand from its screen. The Mars, the Meteor and the blue hybrids have no hand brake — they only brake automatically. That is why the turbine always comes off before the battery does.
Joining the Three Wires
Once the turbine is unplugged, the controller can't brake it. So with the blades stopped, join the three turbine wires together on the turbine side of the cable. That keeps the turbine braked while it's off the controller. Do it every time the turbine is unplugged. Use a proper connector that takes all three wires in one join, not a twist and tape — the brake current runs through it.
How to Put the Brake on
- WW Series (The L1, L2, H and G Kits): flip the BRAKE switch on the controller, or press and hold the button for 5 seconds — the red dump-load light comes on.
- WCMD (The X-300, M-400, M-600 and M-800 Kits): press the button and set the charging mode on the screen to "no charging".
- Mars, Meteor 1–3 kW, Blue Hybrid with Dump Load: this controller brakes the turbine automatically but has no hand brake. To work on the system, pick a calm day and wait for the blades to stop completely.
The G-3000 and G-5000 also carry a mechanical brake on the turbine itself.
Correct Start-Up Sequence
Begin at the battery. Power everything up in this exact order:
- Take any note off and switch the main battery breaker ON first. The controller powers up and should show battery voltage on the display.
- Switch the solar breaker ON (if fitted).
- 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.
No hand brake on your controller (the Mars, the Meteor, the blue hybrids)? Step 3 is simply: on a calm day, with the blades still, take the three turbine wires apart and plug the turbine in.
This order matters: connecting a fast-spinning turbine to a controller that isn't yet powered is a known way to damage the dump-load circuit, and can leave you with a permanent 0W reading. Battery first, then solar, then the turbine — always.
Shutting Down for Service
Finish at the battery:
- Put the controller's brake on and wait for the blades to stop completely.
- Unplug the turbine and join its three wires together, so it stays braked.
- Switch the solar breaker OFF (if fitted).
- Switch the main battery breaker OFF last, and hang a note on it so nobody switches it back on while you work.
The same steps switch the system off for weeks. For a long shut-down, also secure the blades or lower the tower if you can — the brake slows the turbine, it doesn't lock it.
No hand brake on your controller (the Mars, the Meteor, the blue hybrids)? Step 1 is: pick a calm day and wait for the blades to stop completely.
The turbine cable is live whenever the blades turn. Even with the brake on, wait until they have stopped completely before you touch anything.
Replacing or Servicing a Controller
Taking it Out
- Put the brake on and wait for the blades to stop completely. Do this on a calm day.
- Unplug the turbine and join its three wires together, so it stays braked. Then unplug the dump load, and the solar if fitted.
- Switch the battery breaker off last, and hang a note on it so nobody switches it back on while you work.
- 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
- 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.
- Take any note off and switch the battery breaker on.
- Release the brake last.
No hand brake on your controller (the Mars, the Meteor, the blue hybrids)? Skip the brake steps: pick a calm day and wait for the blades to stop completely.
Why the Breaker Goes Between the Controller and the Battery
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. 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. 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.
If Something's Not Right After Start-Up
If the controller shows 0W with the turbine clearly spinning after following this sequence, see our companion guide, Wind Turbine Showing 0W While Spinning?, which walks through the settings, thresholds and wiring checks in detail.
Still stuck? Ring 0400 333 898 or email Support@BushLine.com.au.