Solar pool heater?

[ParB]

I'm thinking about adding some solar pool heaters. I have a shower/changing room/bathroom with an outdoor kitchen close to my pool. My pool equipment sits behind the changing/shower room. The roof is flat up on top of the changing room. I'm thinking it would be a nice place to put some solar heaters up on the roof to pump the pool water through to raise the temperature a bit in the pool. The roof is about 10-12ft about ground and i think i have 10x20ft space on top of the changing room. Maybe even a bit more.

What do you recommend in terms of brands for solar heat? How do i calculate how many i should use (or is this a case of fill the roof as full as possible?
It looks like much of the solar heaters are non-rigid and just laying on an angle roof. Mine is flat, is there a base i can buy that give me that angle, or are there any rigid panels that i can buy and build a base for?

At the peak of the summer my pool gets to the 70s, i would love for it to be in the mid 80s

Thanks!

 

[ajw22]

@Dirk has experience with solar in CA. Let’s see what he has to say.

 

[Pool_Medic]

200 sq ft isn’t much for panel fitting. Most good ones are 4x10 or 4x10.

it’s recommended to have 69% of the sq ft surface area of your pool. IE: 16x32 pool is 512ft, so you would normally need 300 sq ft of panels. That being said, any solar heat you add to your pool will definitely help.

A quick and relatively inexpensive system could be as simple as Fafco Solar Bear panels, while made for AG pools they can be a quick install on your roof. 2 panels would fit easy, 3 might be a stretch.

Solar Pool Heating For Above Ground Pools - PoolSupplies.com

Boost your pool's warmth with FAFCO's Solar Bear system. Easy installation, compatible with the majority of pool pumps. Enjoy energy-efficient heating!

www.poolsupplies.com

 

[hwy17]

Fafco would be the main brand in CA, made in CA.

If you happen to be in Santa Clara you're in luck, the city will install them and add it to your water bill. Otherwise there are at least a couple installers in the area.

I'm in the middle of a 2x Fafco Solar Bear DIY install, but it's pretty involved for a DIY project.

 

[ParB]

Cool , I'll check out the favco. I haven't been up on the roof and measured it, but I doubt I can install more than 30% of the surface of the pool.

Maybe a better choice is to put electric pv panels on my main house and use those to power a heat pump. Ive been considering solar panels for a while, my electrical bill is a bit high.

 

[hwy17]

Yeah our PG&E rates are painful. Check out the time of use plans if you're getting much into tier 3 usage. Although maybe wait to see about PV, I know the tiered plan is advantageous for PV billing.

 

[ParB]

My household base energy usage is 1,200watt.
3 fridges, 2 freezers, 2 ice makers a dozen sonos, a whole bunch of networking gear and computers that pretty much always run. Cameras, electric gates, electric gate sensors and access systems.

I think I need to go to pv at some point.