Energy Advice

Welcome to our energy advice column. Here we summarize publicly available information on the many ways you can save money on your energy bills as well as general topics on renewable energy. We try to keep our advice short and to the point.

SOLAR POOL

Yes, solar hot water for your pool makes sense. If your pool is heated by electricity or gas, it's a perfect candidate for solar heating. You may not realize it, but you may be spending more on heat for your pool than for your home.  Because of its efficiency, solar pool heating provides an excellent return on investment. It pays for itself, in energy savings, in less than three years.

A typical solar pool heating system includes solar thermal collectors connected right to the circulating pump. In areas where freezing is a concern, the system will have drain spigots to ensure that the water is totally drained out of the system for the winter.

In terms of temperature control, it's simple. A timer connected to the circulation pump turns it on or off according to when the sun is up or down. This is not perfect way to control temperature, but it's straightforward.

If the pool already has a water heater, the solar hot water collectors will preheat the water going into the heater.

There are a number of factors that affect the cost of heating your pool, but the facts inevitably point to the advantages of solar hot water heating.

To offset the purchase cost, some states offer rebates for this type of system. Currently, there are eight: Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, and Wisconsin. The list is growing, so check with your particular state for more information.

How do you get started? Begin by getting yourself a solar calculator, which will guide you in sizing your system.