Heating your pool or hot tub with solar pool heater is a proven simple, affordable, and reliable way to save money and help the environment. Whether you use your existing pump or a solar pump, you can connect a solar thermal water heating system to any pool or hot tub to provide low-cost heating that will extend your outdoor swimming season and save you money. But knowing how large your solar thermal system should be and how to keep it functioning at peak efficiency requires further explanation. SolarTown is here to help with this practical guide for solar thermal pool systems.

Solar is the wave of the future for home pool systems-good news for you and for the planet. Swimming pools use a substantial amount of energy compared to other systems in your home. One utility district in California estimates that over the course of an average summer, a typical pool will consume the same amount of energy as an average home uses in three months. Using non-renewable energy, such as that from natural gas or coal-fired power plants, can cost you upwards of $2,000 every year. This article reviews the benefits of three types of solar energy systems for use around swimming pools: solar water pool heaters, solar pool pumps and solar showers.