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Swimming pool solar panels
While it is common knowledge that solar panels can provide electricity and hot water, swimming pool solar panels are less well known but equally important. By raising the water temperature slightly, they can extend the use of a pool by many weeks each year in most climates, and in milder climates they allow a pool to be used all year round. While they perform a similar role to solar hot water panels, these systems are different in many ways. Replacing a gas or electric pool heating system with solar panels can save substantially more than their high initial cost, because they use the free non-polluting energy of sunlight instead of costly polluting energy from conventional sources.The main component is the solar panels, also called the solar collectors. They are made from long lengths of small diameter pipe that are connected to two large diameter pipes, the inlet and outlet manifolds. The pipes are made from plastic or rubber, and they have a matt black finish that maximizes the amount of sunlight energy absorbed and converted into heat. Large sheets containing many pipes connected by rubber webbing are used to reduce the installation time. The inlet manifold pipe is connected to the pool filtration system, and a small pump is used to move the water taken from the filter through the panels and back into the pool. Pool heaters are called active systems because they use a pump, unlike passive hot water systems that use the thermosyphon effect instead of a pump. This allows the panels to be laid flat on a roof or ground rack without needing to be inclined. The pump, valves, and control unit do not use much power and can be powered by a large solar panel, making the system totally independent.
Most swimming pool solar panels have sensors that measure the water temperature in the inlet and outlet manifolds. When the control unit detects that the pool water is colder than the water in the panel, it opens valves and starts the pump to move the water through the pipes, and stops when the temperature difference falls below its preset limits. Systems in colder climates often have a check valve to allow the water to flow out of the panels once the pump stops running, so the water doesn't damage the pipes when it freezes and expands. A pressure relief value is also used in case the water becomes trapped in the panels and overheats, causing the pipes to rupture. The solar panels are held onto the roof with glue or clips so there is no risk of flooding inside the roof cavity should a leak occur.
Placing the panels on the sun-facing side of a house roof is usually sufficient to raise the water temperature of an average backyard pool by ten degrees. Using a pool cover to reduce the heat loss can raise the temperature by a further five degrees. This is enough to allow the pool to be used for many extra weeks either side of winter in most climates. The only maintenance issues with swimming pool solar panels are cleaning leaves off them and fixing the occasional small leak. Patch kits are available that make fixing these leaks a basic task. As long as the pool filtration system keeps debris out of the inlet manifold, most heater systems will last more than twenty years without much trouble.
Swimming pool solar panels have a high initial cost of several thousand dollars, but they usually make more than this back over their lifetime compared to the cost of conventional pool heating. They can be installed in one day and only require minimal maintenance. There is no risk of flooding because they do not penetrate the roof, and they can even protect themselves from damage caused by freezing and pump failure. While black solar panels may look unattractive on some roofs, the visual impact is minimized because only one sun-facing side is usually required. Overall, they are a great choice for anyone looking to increase the use of their pool and the value of their home.
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