SOLAR POOL HEATING - AN EFFICIENT AND POPULAR
USE OF SOLAR ENERGY
For over 30 years, solar pool heating in Australia has been an efficient and popular use of solar energy, allowing pool owners to enjoy an extended swimming season with minimal running costs. Pool+Spa investigates the popular types, common misconceptions and latest developments in solar pool heating.
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here are two main types of solar heating used within Australia - soft, strip or ribbon collectors, or semi-rigid panels. Soft, strip or ribbon types of products are usually manufactured from rubber or plastic. This system is commonly installed with the water-carrying tubes within the flat ribbon, running horizontally across the roof. It is often fastened to the roof surface with an adhesive. This system has been available in Australia for more than 30 years. Because of its flexibility, soft or strip systems can be installed on most roof surfaces and onto irregularly shaped roofs. The semi-rigid panel product is usually manufactured from polypropylene and installed with the water tubes running vertically. This enables the panels to be more easily fastened to the roof and usually incorporates a more robust method of securing the product to the roof than adhesive alone. This allows for installations on steep roofs and in windy locations. Depending on the quality of the polypropylene, this system will usually have a longer life span than a rubber or plastic strip product. However, due to the set sizes of the panels, some roofs will not accommodate a panel system.
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Installation Once a client or pool builder has selected the right type of solar pool heating for their needs and budget, the next step is installation. Most installations are relatively easy and are usually completed in one day. There are three types of installations. 1. Integrated systems are often installed on older pools and many fibreglass pools where the pool is not equipped with dedicated pipes for the solar system. The pump installed to circulate the water to the roof-mounted solar system must draw its water from the pool return line, which means the main filter pump must run whenever the solar is being used. 2. Independent or separate suction systems, where the pool has been built with dedicated suction and return pipes for the solar. This allows the pool owner to have their solar system running at optimum solar energy times (usually 9 am to 3 pm) without the need to run the filtration system. This allows the pool owner more control over the operation and in particular the opportunity to have their filter pump running at off-peak power times.
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