Thomas Edison 1931
Solar Thermal Swimming Pools
Using solar panels to heat swimming pools is possibly the best application for solar thermal.
Heating swimming pools conventionally is fast becoming prohibited by escalating fuel prices and inefficient boilers.
Solar heating for swimming pools can dramatically reduce your fuel bills and offer security for subsequent years. A typical installation consisting of 8 collectors can give a saving of around £850 assuming if replacing oil as a fuel source and cost around £8,000. When taking into account fuel price rises over the 25 year life span of the system the Net Present Value of this system is £40,000.
The solar system will maintain the pools temperature throughout the summer months but some auxiliary heating will be required to get the swimming pool up to temperature to begin with.
Quite often the best possible combination is to heat your domestic hot water tank first, then once the tank is satisfied the system will automatically switch to the swimming pool in effect using it as a heat sink.
As swimming pools generally get most of their use in the summer months, the solar collectors produce an abundance of useful heat, that would normally go to waste, but swimming pools make use of it.
The Renewable Heat Incentive will only apply to indoor swimming pools – to read more about the Renwable Heat Incentive (RHI) please click here
Please see case study Mr Stuart-Kregor (pictured above) for an example of the system described above.
