Home Solar Panelling Uses Passive Solar Heating to Heat Wate
A home solar panel installation is a good investment for pool owners. A passive solar heating system uses renewable solar energy to heat pool water, heat a spa and even heat the boiler containing the warm water you use at home.
Residential solar panels are becoming increasingly common worldwide, especially among pool owners who use passive solar heating systems to heat pool water, spa water and even to provide hot water inside the home for use in the shower and sinks.
How Solar Panels Work: Passive Solar Heating for Water
A pool that’s not heated by solar power utilizes pool pumps and pool heaters that are powered by electricity; the need for electricity to heat the home’s pool is eliminated or dramatically reduced (depending upon the specific solar panel system that’s used) when a passive solar heating system is installed.
If there is enough space and not too much shade, residential solar panelling is typically installed on the roof of the home. The home solar panels will be positioned on the side of the roof that receives the most afternoon sun for maximum efficiency and power output.
Piping is installed underneath the solar panels, and solar thermal collectors are run between the solar panels and the pipes; this transfers the heat collected by the solar panels to the pipes, which will contain water.
The passive solar pool heating system is typically attached to the existing pool pump, which circulates the swimming pool water through the rooftop solar panel system.
Depending on the installed solar heating system, some solar panels will also supply the electricity to run the pool pump. And many home solar panel systems can be configured to heat the spa and provide warm water indoors for showers and the home’s sinks.
Solar Heating Systems: Cost and Maintenance
Unfortunately, solar heating systems are not cheap. The average passive solar heating system will cost around £7,000 for the solar panels and solar panel installation. If you wish to store electricity with a solar battery for days when there is no sunshine, the cost will increase significantly.
For the average home without a pool, the cost of a passive solar water heating system makes it an impractical option, even in the long term.
But residents with a pool and spa will find themselves in a different boat, as electric pool heating systems can cost hundreds – even thousands – of dollars each year to run. This means that the investment in home solar panels will be recouped within several years.
Solar panel maintenance is minimal, though repairs, although not often necessary, can be expensive. In many cases, homeowner’s insurance policies will cover a home’s solar panel system, which can pay to repair the solar panels if they sustain damage during a storm or other weather event.
In summary, a passive solar water heating system can be a wise home investment for homeowners with a swimming pool and/or a spa, as depending on your location, solar water heater panels will dramatically reduce or even eliminate pool heating costs year-round.
