Solar Panel Recommendation

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MrBobC

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Jun 14, 2018
30
Binghamton, NY
Hello again! With the help of this forum I recently upgraded much of my equipment pad, added SWG, will add EasyTouch probably next year, and am now wanting to iron out the details of my future solar setup. I saw a lot of recommendations for the Solar Bear, but on the Fafco site I'm confused because they don't really list their equipment, and much of what I find on some websites it has out of stock or not enough information to even know if it's 1.5" or 2". I know I want 2" piping, and that I will put it on a ground rack, and that I want to be able to start small and add on. Given my climate and absence of any other heating device for the pool, I want to end up at around 100% of my surface area (about 576 sq. ft.) to maximize the swimming season. I've seen info for Heliocol, TechnoSolis, and others, but none to the point that I saw SolarBear was endorsed several years ago.

Question: What's the best value pool solar product going right now? Would want 4' x 20' sheets preferably, then do 7 or 8 of them on a ground rack, but am open to other options. Place to purchase would also be appreciated in case there are websites I haven't yet found.

Thank You!
 
Well, I will say that if you only want the 20' sheets (which run horizontally), that is going to limit your options. I am pretty sure that Heliocol only sell panels that run vertically (usually in 10' or 12.5' heights). In fact, I think most of the big name brands typically run vertically.
 
I am happy with the vortex 12' panels I got from Solar Direct. I installed them in 2012 or 2013 and they are still working great. They are mounted vertically. Pics in pool thread, link in sig.
 
What's the best value pool solar product going right now?
Click to expand...

That's a pretty loaded question. Are you talking initial cost? Ease of DIY installation? Maintenance? Longevity? Warranty? Efficiency?

I went with Heliocol because they are well regarded and because I got a killer price on them (about $300 a 4x12 panel). Which I could have helped you get here in CA. NY not so much. It was only after I decided on, and purchased, Heliocol, that more of their value was revealed. They have an amazing connection system. And an equally amazing mounting system. Not having compared to any others, I can't rate either, but some that I saw and read about pale in comparison, and I expect these two aspects alone to eliminate all kinds of potential issues of other brands, namely connection leaks (very common) and wear and tear (even disaster) from mounting (rather dis-mounting) issues, including wind-load issues. They have a great warranty, and even though I probably blew some or all of that by installing myself (not clear on that), I figured a company willing to give that kind of warranty must have a product that, well, warrants it. That is somewhat flawed thinking, but for the price I paid, I can afford to buy these panels twice!

They are also easy to repair, should disaster strike the tubing. Another design plus.

So I can't give you any comparison data, but I can attest to the quality of Heliocol, and to their kind of quality is value.

Looking forward to following along with what you discover...

Oh, note: Heliocol recommends no more than eight of their panels in an array. So you can't buy eight now, and just connect up a ninth or tenth. You'd have to split that into two arrays of four or five. Then you could add to those two arrays until you got up to eight again, then split them up into three arrays. Etc. I can't now remember the reason, just the instruction. Probably has to do with flow rate. Might even apply to all brands? Something to check on if expansion capability is important to you.
 
Expansion capability is important as I'd like to get up to 100% of surface area (plenty of wide open sunny space here in my yard) and that way I don't have to spend all the money at once but could reap the benefits as I make the investment. I don't plan to dis-mount any panels from the racks, so don't anticipate any dis-mounting issues. I'm not sure if I think Heliocol is worth the $600 - $700 I could find online and if they're that much better than, say, the Vortex panels suggested by pooldv above which I can find for $200-$300. As I said in the OP though if there's somewhere to buy them that I didn't find that's a better deal I'm happy to find out about it. Why can you only get the $300/panel price in CA?

I think on the efficiency front they're all pretty much around the same and there isn't one that's so much better than all the rest based on what I could find.

So if I went with Heliocol I'd end up with two six-panels arrays running in parallel at the end, but could end up at eight if I wanted the extra heat (since I have the space and in NY could use all the help I can get in heating the pool).

Thanks Dirk!
 
I'll give a shout out to my guy and see what I can do.

No science behind this, but I'm guessing you're right: that there will be no significant difference in heat exchange between quality panels. Sun and black tubing = X. So it comes down to construction and design and warranty. And whether that warranty is honored for DIY installation.

Heliocols have great a connection. There is an o-ring internal to the connectors, and a very cool clamp system, all PVC. So I believe it will work better and last longer than the "radiator hose" type system a lot of panels use, which is subject to deterioration and shrinking.

The mounting system consists of brackets that allow expansion and contraction, and don't require any additional strapping for wind. Very easy to install and use.

I didn't write that part about "dis-mounting" issues well at all. They connect and mount ridiculously easy. Pair of channel locks does the job. So adding panels and removing them is a snap. But I was actually referring to wind and expansion issues. Because of the mounting system, they are well protected from high wind and wear and tear on the tubing from sliding around on an abrasive roof top (tile or asphalt) from contracting and expanding every day. Something to consider if you want your panels to be trouble free for the next 20 years.

The dealer I purchased them from gave me a kit that included absolutely everything I needed to install. And I mean everything. It was awesome for a first-time installer like myself. Even sold me UV-black PVC pipe, which looks better on my roof, and won't peel like painted PVC.
 
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