Summertime leisure is frequently associated with swimming. Beaches, lakes or outdoor pools all see use in these months of long, warm days. However, also associated with pools are many costs, not the least of which is heating. Keeping a swimming pool at a comfortable temperature level is an expensive endeavor. This cost is very much a deciding factor for homeowners; perhaps the installation of a pool is within the budget, but not the continuous heating.
This cost can be significantly reduced with a solar heating installation. Pools are frequently used in times of sunshine and heat, it is thus sensible to harness the solar power inherent in the summer months. The process for heating a pool is among the simpler applications of solar power. Solar heating installations require a certain components: collector, pumps, heat exchangers, storage tanks and control systems. By analogy, one may consider a swimming pool a heat storage tank, albeit one that stores heat at a comfortable level for swimming.
With regards to collectors, some solar power set-ups will fill an entire roof with glazed panels or evacuated tube collectors. This will take up much space, and is certainly not the most efficient method. The Solarbeam is a parabolic dish concentrator with full two-axis tracking capabilities. The efficiency is much greater compared to other styles of collector. It is appropriate for many applications, including pool heating, bringing forth the summertime fun.
Once the collector is chosen, the rest of the solar hot water installation must be determined. Dedicated pool systems can pipe the pool water directly through the collector and bring it back to the pool at a warm temperature. This is a simple set-up that requires very few additional components in the solar hot water arrangement. No heat exchanger is necessary. However this system is very limited, allowing only for pool heating.
Once one realizes the benefits of solar heat applied to a swimming pool, why stop there? The infrastructure can easily be extended for year-round solar heat production in the case of homeowners or recreation centers. The same solar power used to heat one’s pool could heat up washing water, condition the air within a building and reduce ones dependence on the electricity grid. With solar heat, there are no changes in the form of energy (i.e. electricity to heat, mechanical energy to heat), thus allowing for simplicity and efficiency. Best of all, the source of energy is free; one must simply supply the collector and circuit systems.
By: Joel Smith
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