Renewable Energy and Solar Pool Heating

The thrust towards renewable forms of energy is widely explored these days. Thanks to government incentives and tax cuts, residential owners and commercial managers see to it to adopt green policies in their electric consumption in order to avail of savings on their monthly bills. Aside from maximizing solar energy for electricity on a general scale, solar energy can also be used particularly in heating up pools in backyards.

Solar pool heating is a very popular choice among homeowners who wish to enjoy a warm swim during their free time and available leisure hours without necessarily hooking up the pool’s heating system via a power source or a furnace. Solar panels are normally installed on top of roofs since panels need to be as close as possible to the sun. Late mornings and the first few hours of the afternoon are the best time slots wherein solar panels can be at its best and most functioning time. Aside from the panels, solar hot water collectors are also installed on top of the roof. These collectors have thin pipes installed where the water from the pool runs. 

Water that continuously runs on these pipes is heated.  Heated water then is deposited back to the pool thus heating the water of the pool in an even manner. While it is impossible to heat the pool like a cooking pot on top of a gas stove, the tiny portions of water that has been heated using solar energy is concentrated enough to increase the temperature inside the pool. Also, unlike solar panels that still convert solar energy first into electricity, solar heat derived from solar hot water collectors are used without any conversions. That said, you can greatly assess whether the pool is heated enough to your liking or not depending on the weather conditions of the day. If you are not so fond of a steam bath inside your pool or if you are content with a pool that is bearable enough to bask in during the colder days, a solar pool heating system is truly worth your time and money.

Like solar panels, solar pool heating systems can cost quite a lot, and the price mostly ranges between 3,000 to 5,000 dollars. Before even expressing intentions of having a solar pool heating system despite the facts and benefits of owning one, make sure that your house’s location is a potential candidate for a solar pool heater. If it is, then you can find a licensed contractor who can provide the right size and capacity of solar pool heating the will best suit your home.