Evaluating Your Site's Solar Resource for Solar Pool Heating
Before you buy and install a solar pool heating system, you first need to consider your site's solar resource. The efficiency and design of a solar pool heater depends on how much of the sun's energy reaches your building site.
Solar pool heating systems use both direct and diffuse solar radiation. Therefore, even if you don't live in a climate that's warm and sunny most of the time—like the southwestern United States—your site still might have an adequate solar resource. Basically, if your building site has unshaded areas and generally faces south, it's a good candidate for a solar pool heating system.
Your local solar system supplier or installer can perform a solar site analysis. If you'd like to try to do it yourself, see the Evaluation Tools under Learn More on the right side of this page (or below if you've printed it out).
Related Information
Learn More
Evaluation Tools
CLIMATE 1
DOE Building Energy Tools Software Directory
LESO-SHADE
DOE Building Energy Tools Software Directory
Sombrero 3.01
DOE Building Energy Tools Software Directory
SolPath
DOE Building Energy Tools Software Directory
SUN_CHART
DOE Building Energy Tools Software Directory
Solar Radiation Data Manual for Flat-Plate and Concentrating Collectors
Renewable Resource Data Center
Solar Water Heating Project Model
RETScreen International
Financing & Incentives
Find Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency
Energy Savers
Professional Services
Solar Energy Industries Association
Related Links
Solar Pool Heating System Installation
Florida Solar Energy Center
