Blog Tag: Solar

Today we will be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of a rather passive pool heating method: solar heating.

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Welcome back to our series on heating pool methods where I review information from one of my past seminars on the subject. For today’s installment, we will be discussing solar heating systems.

Solar heating systems are very passive. Panels on the roof of the property adjacent to the pool capture solar energy. Water moves past these panels through a connected tube, absorbing between three to five degrees of heat upon each pass. That said, it takes a significant amount of time for the water to become adequately heated. And solar energy is only effective when the sun is shining.

As a result, 70% of heat loss occurs in the overnight hours. This means, when it comes to building up energy, your system must essentially restart each morning. If you are a morning swimmer, you shouldn’t expect your pool to be warm early in the day when using solar heating systems. It essentially takes an entire day just to replenish the heat lost overnight, leaving you with very few hours in the day to enjoy a sufficiently heated pool.

Many people who use a solar heating system will add an additional, supplementary system, but doing so ultimately negates the reasons why someone might opt for a solar system.

On average, a solar pool heating system will produce 1,000 BTUs per square foot of panel per day. So, you will need a lot of panels. This is certainly something to consider before investing in a solar panel.

Beyond that, this heating method offers limited effectiveness during winter months when the days are shorter, the sun is lower in the sky, and the air tends to be cool.

There are, of course, benefits to the solar heating method. Two examples I have already mentioned are low operating cost and limited environmental impact, but there is also the fact that this method can work to cool pools down in the summer.

Yet, there are also a number of disadvantages to keep in mind. Low heat output during pool heating season and a large physical installation footprint are just two examples.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to speak with you.

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Tuesday December 22nd was the shortest day of the year, and marks the beginning of the winter season for 2015- but what does that mean for your pool?

While Florida is deemed the “sunshine state,” the winter months issue shorter days and fewer hours of sunlight.

That said, Solar Pool Heating becomes obsolete in the winter months. The days are too short to collect enough solar energy to get your heater performing up to standard. So through the winter months, Solar Pool heating needs to be backed-up with a conventional system in order to maintain desirable pool temperatures. Months of convention system use is costly and burns fossil fuels, sacrificing energy efficiency and the integrity promised with solar.

GeoThermal systems are not affected by outdoor air temperatures, nor do hours of viable sunlight limit their efficiency. Instead, GeoThermal utilizes Florida’s underground aquifers, which maintain a consistent temperature year-round.

GeoThermal will perform through the winter season, even on the shortest day of the year, just as well as it performs in the summer months. GeoThermal is the ONLY pool heating method that does not need a backup in order to maintain desired pool temperatures. It is an independent system that delivers the energy efficiency, integrity and performance Florida pool owners are looking for.

Florida will be experiencing high tourism through this holiday season, don’t be caught without a viable pool simply because the water is too cool for comfort.

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Solar is often regarded as the top green technology for heating and cooling pools. When considering what system to install for your pool heating needs, it is crucial to consider all factors of Solar.

Solar Panels for pool heating have limited effectiveness in the winter months when days are shorter and the sun is lower in the sky. The cold air tends to cool the water in the solar panels, causing the pool to lose its heat. Solar has a lower heat output, and often needs a conventional system as a backup heat source.
Unlike Solar, GeoThermal does not need a backup source -making it a more complete model of energy-efficiency.
Solar pool heating systems require a large physical installation footprint. GeoThermal units can be installed indoors and stacked, so it is possible to only allocate a small footprint for installation.

You can invest in the future of your pool by choosing the most complete model for energy efficient pool heating – GeoThermal.

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