Solar heat pump

[Swampwoman]

Split off of this topic. JasonLion.

Joshii, when you were investigating this product, did you look at/consider their solar heat pump at all, or is that prdouct new this year? http://www.hotspotenergy.com/heat-pump-pool-heater/

I don't actually have central air...I do have a heat pump in my studio that is near-ish my pool house. But here in Mchigan, where I really like to heat for the shoulder months (pretty much 87 from May to early October) the gas is relatively cheap (compared to what propane would cost. Eg. My gas bill runs $250-$400/mo to keep it that hot).

So I seem to have a husband-acceptance-factor when I talk about rigging solar on the poolhouse If this unit (the solar one, that stores the excess power) really did mean zero energy consumption, the payback should only be a few years.

I don't mind the heating cost versus pleasure ratio now, but someday when we retire and are looking at a more fixed income, I think I'd really appreciate any energy-reduction equipment I invest in now

 

[Swampwoman]

Re: Hotspot FPH AC heat reclamation pool heater - a review!

I just went and reviewed my last 2 years or gas consumption, and removing the baseline useage to get the true pool heating cost. Its actually not more than $200 most months...approaches $300 differential in Oct this year, but oct was super cold but I still swim in ams after exercise so I hadn't wanted to shut it down

 

[Joshii]

Re: Hotspot FPH AC heat reclamation pool heater - a review!

You keep your pool open into October, in Michigan? Isn't there like 10 feet of snow on the ground by then?

 

[JasonLion]

The marketing for that the solar heat pump fails to clearly explain that their "zero energy cost" requires you to purchase an expensive photovoltaic system, whose total cost will be similar to the lifetime cost of electricity to power the heat pump off the grid (in most places).

It is misleading to mixup the costs of the photovoltaic system with the costs of the pool heater. If a photovoltaic system is cost effective in your area, you will save money by getting one, regardless of having a pool or not having a pool. What the pool heat costs is a completely separate consideration.

Likewise you don't want the photovoltaic system controller integrated with your pool heat pump. They are very different kinds of systems, with very different failure modes. You don't want to risk a failure of one to causing the other one to also fail.

 

[Swampwoman]

Thanks, Jason. So far my hvac guy has intimated that photovoltaic isn't worth the return in Mich due to the way the energy contracts are written and no state credits. So even though its from the same site, it sounds lie quite a different scenario than the the AC version.

And Joshii, lol re snow Sometimes we actually get "Indian Summer" in mid Oct...but generally its too cold to swim unless you've worked up a sweat speed hiking I close mid-Oct. to beat the oak leafs.

 

[Swampwoman]

Btw, Jason, sorry if you considered my question thread-jacking -- I hadn't considered it to be. He offered advice on his process and to review a similar-seeming product from the same link/mfg...which was why I had asked if during his research he had evaluated that product. Should I really have started a new thread?

 

[JasonLion]

Yes, definitely should be in it's own topic. This is a different question about a different product.

 

[Joshii]

Sorry, Swampwoman, I don't know about that product. It is different than what I was going for.