Solar Pool Heating

Solar energy is becoming popular for pool heating as it is taking advantage of the free energy of the sun to maintain a pool temperature that can extend the swimming season well beyond that of an unheated pool.

Because the volume of water is considerably greater than a hot water cylinder, pool heating is generally considered a luxury and most pool owners resort to a pool cover to assist in temperature control and to minimise evaporation.

Many pool heating systems use either gas or heat-pumps which are more efficient and cheaper than electricity although the temperature requirements are much lower and less variable than in a hot water cylinder. Heat pumps are very efficient but expensive to install and solar heating is both economical to install and run compared with the alternatives.

Used in conjunction with a passive solar collecting pool cover, a solar heating system provides year-round temperature consistency and very economical running costs.

The major advantage of these systems is that because sunshine is free, they have minimal operating costs. Another plus for environmentally concerned pool owners is that solar energy is renewable and non-polluting.

So what types of system are there?

Two types of system are used:

• Using solar panels in a combined system for home hot water heating and pool heating
• A dedicated pool heating system using polypropylene panels and tubing.

Which system is best for you?

It depends upon your own situation.

If you are using gas or heat pump for your home hot water you will probably consider a dedicated pool heating system. While the volume of water is greater than your hot water cylinder, the overall temperatures are lower with much less temperature variation. A polypropylene system is designed to withstand the chemicals in swimming pools as well.

If you are thinking about converting to solar water heating due to rising electricity costs you could consider a combined system. Whichever you choose, do contact us so our EECA registered installers and manufacturers can analyse your particular needs and advise a system that offers maximum efficiency and cost savings for you.