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About Solar | Siting & Location | Municipal Permits | Solar Pool Heating | Solar Air Heating
Solar pool heating is a great way to reduce your energy bills, extend your swimming season, and protect the environment. For some homeowners, solar pool heaters can meet all of their pool heating needs with free heat from the sun. Pool heaters are economic and widely available in Canada. According to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), solar heaters already make up more than 10 percent of all new pool heating-equipment sales.
Fact: Replacing a natural gas or propane heater with a solar heater could stop 3-10 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each swimming season. That’s about the same amount produced by operating your car for one year! (NRCan)
How do they work?
Solar pool heating panels use the heat from the sun to preheat outdoor pool water to 10-15 degrees above air temperature. Cool water from the pool is pumped into the panels using the existing pool pump. A new pool pump may be required if there is an unusually long distance from the pump to the panels. Water flowing through the panels is heated and then circulates back to the pool. A solar pool heater can work in conjunction with a natural gas or electric pool heater. The solar system will be the primary source of heat, while a gas or electric heater is used as back-up on cool or cloudy days. During cloudy or cool days, use of a solar cover/blanket can help maintain the temperature of the pool.
Photo Courtesy of Enersol Solar Products
How much do they cost?
Cost of pool heaters will vary based on the size of your pool. Solar heaters will payback in carbon reduction and capital cost well within their 15-25 year lifespan, depending on the panel and manufacturer. They have lower operating and maintenance costs than conventional heating (natural gas, electricity, heat pump). Cost of equipment starts at $3,000 for a typical 16 by 32 square foot pool. Depending on the type of heating offset, the payback period can be as short as two years. Some panels are sold as a do-it-yourself installation kit, eliminating an additional installation cost. It is recommended, however, to have an installation done by a solar professional. This will ensure proper sizing and installation, and should also include a warranty on the work and materials
Pool Heating Technology
- Unglazed Solar Panels
Unglazed solar panels are designed almost exclusively for pool heating. Panels typically come in three different lengths to fit different sized roofs: 8ft, 10ft and 12ft. The panel material is usually a specialized plastic, although advanced rubber is also sometimes used. Regardless of material type, the panel should be resistant to breakdown from UV rays, pool chemicals and ozone. Panel warranty will depend on the panel manufacturer, but many are lifetime-limited warranties lasting for at least 10-15 years. Check with your local installers or distributors to learn panel specific details.
- Glazed Collectors
Similar to domestic hot water heating systems, these panels are not normally used to heat swimming pools. While effective pool water heaters, glazed panels can be two to three times more expensive per panel than unglazed solar panels. In addition to high costs, high levels of chlorine, or having a salt-water pool, can be extremely corrosive to the copper piping inside glazed panels.
Indoor Pools
Indoor pools are suitable for both solar heating and pool covers (to reduce evaporation and heat loss). Some indoor pools are oriented to the sun and do allow for passive solar heat to reach the water surface. Direct sunlight on a pool accounts for a huge increase in pool temperature. If direct sunlight does not regularly hit your indoor pool, you will require more solar panels than the same pool with direct sun. Solar systems for indoor pools can be more sophisticated in design and more expensive, than a typical system for an outdoor pool.
Hot Tubs
Solar pool heaters required for hot tubs are commonly glazed panels capable of heating to higher temperatures of 40°C (104°F). It is possible to use unglazed panels where the temperature of the water is not maintained at high temperatures, when not in use. Consult a pool heating professional to size and design a system appropriate for your hot tub usage.
For more information:
Natural Resources Canada’s guide to Residential Pool Heating:
http://canmetenergy-canmetenergie.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/eng/renewables/solar_thermal/publications.html?ISBN:0-662-30665-1
The Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) publishes test results in their Directory of Approved Products for collectors tested in Canada. *Search solar pool heating suppliers on CanSIA’s Industry Directory www.cansia.ca
The Florida Solar Energy Centre has conducted extensive testing of solar pool panels. Use their site to search for a specific panel type and compare panel performance:
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/industry/testing/STcollectors/pool_ratings/index.htm |
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