If you want to extend the swimming season for your pool or to keep it at a comfortable temperature without contributing unnecessarily to harmful air pollution, global warming and climate change, solar pool heating maybe the perfect answer.
How does solar pool heating work?
Solar collectors contain tubes through which pool water is circulated to be heated by the sun. The collectors (or panels) can either mounted to the roof or can be "ground mounted" on a frame. A solar pool heating system is set up to work with the existing filtration system. During the day, while the pool pump is operating, the water passes through the solar collectors before returning to the pool. An automatic temperature control system includes sensors to regulate the heat of the water and the amount of water that passes through the collectors. The automatic system can also sense when the sun's rays are strong enough to heat the water and turn the pool pump on, or it can also be controlled with timers.
Why switch to solar pool heating?
Most importantly, using solar energy to heat your pool avoids the emissions of harmful air pollutants and climate-altering greenhouse gases, which result from the burning of fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas. But investing in a solar pool heating systems is not only a good thing for our environment - it will also save you energy costs on heating your pool.
What size will I need?
A solar pool heating system can either completely replace your existing oil or gas-burning heating system or provide only a portion of the heat and be augmented with an existing conventional oil or gas-burning system. The proper size will depend on the size of your pool, your location, shading in your yard, the climate in your area, the desired length of swimming season, the orientation of the panels and other factors. As a rough rule of thumb, solar panels are usually at least 50% the size of the surface area of your pool. To figure out how many panels you will need for your pool visit http://www.flasolar.com/php/pool_panels_entry.php
How much does installing a system like this cost?
Cost depends on a number of factors, but a typical system can range from $2,000 to $4,000 installed. Since solar pool heating systems are quite cost-effective investments without added financial incentives, there are currently neither tax credits nor LIPA rebates available. If you have high pool heating bills now or plan to install a new pool, a solar pool heater may be a good investment for you.
Where do I find contractors?
Many of the contractors that install solar electric systems on Long Island also install solar hot water and pool heating systems. Visit RELI’s solar website at www.SunshineIsFree.org for more information and contractor listings.
