Appropriate Energy Power Corporation Pty Ltd (SPC) of Perth, Western Australia commissioned eight of their Appropriate Energy model S20000 wind turbines at separate installations in October 1994.

SPC integrated these turbines into wind/solar/diesel hybrid systems of output capacities between 20kWh/day and 60kWh/day. Seven turbines in six separate systems were installed for 24-hour/day power supply to Aboriginal 'Outstation' Communities in Central Australia, where average wind speeds are only 4.5 - 5.0m/sec. The variable axis design of the Appropriate Energy S20000 turbines enable their large rotor blades to generate 20kWh/day at 4.5m/sec.

These Appropriate Energy RAPS incorporate the Appropriate Energy S20000 wind turbine, solar array, standby diesel genset, drycell battery bank (having 1 day power storage at 40% depth of discharge) and a bi-directional single phase inverter.

The customers for these Appropriate Energy systems are small Aboriginal Outstations comprising 10 - 30 Community members. They are sited in areas around Alice Springs and the Great Victorian Desert in Central Australia. An example of the system supplied is that of the Perte Rrantege "Boomerang Bore" Community, situated 140kms south of Alice Springs in Central Australia. This is a Community comprising seven homes and population of 30 people.

The Appropriate Energy hybrid system incorporates 2 x Appropriate Energy S20000 wind turbines, which generate a total of 46.6kWh/day in the average 4.58m/sec wind speed of the site. In addition, 27 x 65Watt solar panels generate an additional 8.3kWh/day in the average six hours radiation level of the area. An 80kW battery system provides 32kW of usable storage to support the renewable inputs.

A 10kVA inverter delivers AC power to the load and converts AC to DC from the back up diesel genset to charge the batteries and maintain load demand when necessary.

The economics of using this Appropriate Energy system will save the Community US$30,000 per annum on their diesel fuel consumption which relates to a system pay back period of just over four years. The inverter, battery bank and controller are housed in a pre-fabricated, insulated, metal clad shed.

Funding from the Government sponsored Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) has enabled the development of renewables based RAPS as a viable alternative to stand alone diesel gensets. This has improved the lifestyle and health of Australia's isolated Aboriginal Communities. Apart from annual operating savings, logistical problems of delivering and storing diesel fuel at many of these communities are overcome by the renewable energy alternatives that the latest Australian technology has developed.

SPC now have 90 turbine systems installed throughout remote areas of Australia, Indonesia, America, New Zealand, India and the United Kingdom.