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Limitations of Wind pump Technology:
- Investment Cost:
Although the lifetime cost of wind is often less than diesel or petrol-powered pumps, the investment cost of purchasing a wind pump is usually higher than that of diesel pumps. Groups purchasing water supplies often have limited funds and cannot take a long-term view toward the technology.
- Maintenance and Service:
Technicians and buyers are often unfamiliar with wind pump technology, and pumps in remote locations often break down because of a lack of servicing, spare parts, or trained manpower to administer them. In reality, wind pumps are less maintenance intensive than diesel pumps. However, the wind pump technology is "strange" to many people and there is a need to train maintenance staff where pumps are installed.
- Need for water storage:
Because wind pumps only supply water when the wind is blowing, there is almost always a need to build storage tanks to avail water when the wind is not blowing.
- Low output:
With wind speeds between 2.5-5 m/s, average sized wind pumps will deliver between 100 to 500 m4 (i.e. 10 to 50 m3 at 10m depth or 2 to 20 m3 at 50m depth, see table below). Such outputs may be too low for large communities or irrigation requirements.
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