HOW TO USE SOLAR ENERGY TO HEAT YOUR POOL

If you love summer and dive in the pool there is good news, I could continue using it during the winter and for this you must install a thermal system to heat the water.

HOW TO USE SOLAR ENERGY TO HEAT YOUR POOL

Whoever has a pool and can not even afford to heat it at the expense of increasing energy consumption, is likely to start looking at it with anticipation nostalgia when temperatures start their descent in thermometers.

However, there are clean alternatives available. Taking advantage of solar energy to  heat pool water  is not just one of them, it is  «the most cost-effective use of solar energy»  in a multitude of climates, according to the US Department of Energy.

Therefore, we tell you how these  solar thermal systems work , what typologies exist and what are the main components of the solar kits for the water heating of a swimming pool.

How to keep the water of a pool warm thanks to the sun.

In the same way that it captures energy to light a house, power a computer or irrigate the ground, solar energy can be used to heat the water in the pool when the room temperature no longer encourages a bath.

In fact, its potential for this domestic use is such that, depending on the size and type of the installation, it will keep the water between five and ten degrees above room temperature.

In order to extend the bathing season without this translating into greater demand for energy from non-renewable sources, the panels will be the cornerstone. This applies both to systems that heat the water directly, in which it flows freely through the panel, and to indirect solar installations. This modality, of greater cost, is of the most used, when offering a superior performance.

In general, solar systems used for this purpose must incorporate, at least, the following elements:

• Solar collectors  In addition to capturing the sun’s energy, water will circulate through them to be heated and return to the pool.
• A bomb . It will be essential for water to circulate from the pool to the system.
• Filters . With them it will be ensured that the water returning to the pool is free of debris.

How to calculate the size of the solar installation .

Here is one of the determining points to make good use of the sun’s energy to heat the water and to do it at an affordable cost. The reason is clear. 

The more panels, the greater the investment . However, falling short will mean not achieving the desired objective, so calculating the number of solar panels needed will be crucial.

One aspect that makes it difficult to decide is that there is no exact formula. The size of the installation depends on so many aspects that generalization is practically impossible.

The climate in the area where you reside and the hours of exposure to sunlight in your home are two of the determining factors. With this, the usual thing is that the size of the solar installation is  equivalent to between 50% and 100% of the size of the pool  to be heated.

However, as was mentioned, what may be valid in Almería will not be the same as in Vigo, so we will have to fine-tune this decision. Another important will be  the type of solar installation for which it is chosen , which covers the collectors without coverage and those that do have it.

While the first family stands out for its lower cost, the second one does it for greater efficiency to capture the heat. Again, the specific case of each particular will determine which system is most convenient.

Be that as it may, the truth is that this type of solution is an option to take into account for the domestic use of clean energy. The savings that it entails, as well as its low maintenance cost, are some of the advantages of this alternative that, in addition, allows progress towards a lower dependence on energy from fossil fuels.