Hi all, I have a small (12x14, about 5200 gal) in-ground, gunite pool that's on the north side of the house, where it gets very little sunlight during the winter months. As I live in is South Florida, it basically means that the pool is a comfortable temperature (between high 70s and low 90s in the peak of summer) for most of the year, but I'd really like it to be comfortable year-round. I haven't measured it, but I'd guess that in the dead of "winter" it probably drops to the high 60s or low 70s, mimicking the air temperature in the Jan-March timeframe. Electric heat pumps are popular around here, but my understanding based on a proposal I got about a year ago is one would add about $100-$150/month for electricity during the months I'd use it. I have gas, but would need to run a larger diameter pipe to service a gas pool heater. And in both cases I'd be worried about longevity, as I live pretty close to the intracoastal/ocean. Things made of steel and left outdoors don't last very long in these parts. I've thus started looking at solar options. My pump is underneath a large section of flat roof that gets unobstructed sunlight all day long, and I think that my 1.1HP motor should have enough oomph to push the water up the 9-10' needed to reach it, and my rough calculations suggest that somewhere in the realm of 80-160 sq. ft. of solar heater should be sufficient to warm the pool, but I was hoping that someone with more experience and expertise might be able to chime in. Will solar heating be effective (and cost-effective) in my setup? I really have a hard time justifying my pool contractor's recommendation for a pricey electric heat pump (quoted $5500 installed) with unknown life-cycle and high monthly costs just to use my pool a bit more in the winter. Thoughts are greatly appreciated!