Solar heating is very effective for swimming pools in the UK.
For outdoor swimming pools, the period of the year when most solar energy is available is, of course, the time that the pool will be in most demand.
For indoor swimming pools that are used year-round, the solar heating system must be sized to provide the necessary heat input in winter conditions. The excess heat energy that is captured in spring, summer and autumn must then be disposed of. This can be done by way of a heat dump device. Wasting the heat in this way is of no environmental or economic consequence as it’s free energy anyway. Alternatively the excess capacity can be automatically diverted to provide water heating for the house.
Click on the “rocker buttons” below to expand and contract text.
|
 How does it work?
The pool water that is constantly pumped through your pool filter, is diverted also to flow through solar collectors when there is enough solar energy available. This direct heating approach is slightly different to that used in the domestic water heating system. In the domestic water heating system a solar “primary” (or indirect) circuit is employed, so that the hot water supply is not heated directly in the solar panel. One of the reasons for this difference is that the swimming pool solar collectors operate at a lower temperature, so the limescaling associated with hard water areas does not occur.
Where space is limited to accommodate the solar panels, we would recommend the use of the physically smaller evacuated tube collectors, or flat plate collectors. It will then be necessary to employ a heat exchanger to impart the heat to the pool water. These types of collector operate at a much higher temperature. In this way the same amount of energy will be gathered by physically smaller collectors. This system is usually slightly more expensive that the direct type described above.
How well does it work?
Due to the fact that swimming pool solar heating systems operate at a lower temperature than domestic hot water systems, the solar panels are a lot more efficient in operation. This is due to the fact that the hotter an object is, the more energy it re-radiates, or loses.
Another advantage of having solar heating for your swimming pool is that should the pool exceed the ideal temperature through direct solar heating on the water surface, the solar heating system can be programmed to circulate water through the collectors only at night in order to cool the pool back to within the comfort zone.
As the pool forms such a large solar store, the day-to-day variations in meteorological conditions are smoothed out, and the solar heating effectiveness is largely predictable.
Remember that to get the best from your solar heating system, and as with all pool heating systems, the best results are achieved by using an insulating pool cover when the pool is not in use.
How much does it cost?
The cost of swimming pool solar heating can vary greatly depending on factors such as...
| |
|
 |
the size of the pool |
|
where the collectors are to be installed |
|
the specification of the existing filtration and heating system |
But an uncomplicated installation involving low temperature collectors, would cost in the region of £5500 inclusive. Grant funding may be available, and we will be happy to advise on the programmes that are currently operating at the relevant time.
What's in the  swimming pool solar heating installation package?
|
Please call us for a free no-obligation quotation for your solar water heating system.
|
