PV Gap

Frances Said:

how do you repair pool heater solar panels mfg is Vortex?

We Answered:

prayer probably won't work, but then you didn't explain what is wrong.

Tiffany Said:

How can I heat my inground pool with solar panels?

We Answered:

My neighbor did it for years like this:

He painted the roof of his shed (which was close to the pool) with black rubberized paint. Over this, he laid a grid of 1/2" copper tubing, spaced about 1/2", over the entire south side of the roof, which he covered with more paint. He used a small water pump to circulate pool water through the grid and had it running back into the pool.

It was quite effective. His pool steamed in the winter and they were able to use it a couple of months before anyone else, and a couple of months later in the fall.

Willie Said:

Can you put solar panels on the bottom of your pool or pond?

We Answered:

No. The huge loss of energy in the filtered and refracted sunlight would make the solar panels virtually worthless.

Beth Said:

How many Solar Panels for my Pool?

We Answered:

You could run your AC pool pump using a solar electric battery based system with an inverter, or you could just install a grid tie system to roll your utility meter backwards to indirectly offset the power of the pool pump, or my favorite option is to switch out your AC pump with a solar Direct DC Pool pump as sold at the link below. This option I believe is better since AC pumps are inefficient and need a large solar array to operate whereas a more efficient DC pump can run the pool with less of a solar array. and when I say less I mean several thousands of dollars less in PV equipment so that buying a new pump actually pays for itself and then some.
The other benefit of having your own DC pump is you can make it autonomous, meaning its isolated from the grid and runs whenever its sunny without the need for batteries. And the pool needs circulation more when its sunny rather than cloudy since algae grow more when its sunnier.

http://store.altestore.com/Solar-Pool-Heaters-and-Pumps/Solar-Pool-Pumps/Lorentz-Solar-Pool-Pump-with-PS600-Controller/p5827/