Swimming Pool heating with the sun

I can't think of a better use for solar water heating, in particular for a pool that is used mainly in the summer months and is perhaps outdoors.

When the sun's out you want to be in the pool, but, however warm a summer is, an unheated pool in the UK is never that warm, this is where a series of solar panels can make all the difference, uplifting the temperature and even extending the period during which the pool is usable.

Making the most of the panels.

A decent solar heating installation focused on your pool should also be set to provide heat during the winter period for the home. Assuming the pool is laid up from say October, the declining heat / energy from the sun being taken up by the solar panels shouldn't be wasted, energy should be switchable between pool and hot water tank.

While a set of panels configured for a pool might well be oversized for a domestic hot water system, that oversizing potentially extends the period that a significant amount of heat can be transferred to the hot water cylinder.

Lower Cost Pool systems

Other sources of information

SolarUK's solar heated swimming pool installation information page

Florida Solar Energy Centre, page on Swimming Pool heating