Gunnison Valley (UT) Municipal Swimming Pool (solar thermal heat)
Nearly 50 large solar hot-water panels sit atop the municipal swimming pool in one small city in Central Utah. Such a massive project could be easily scaled down for a residential pool.
The pool's panels are designed to supplement 93% of gas bills if the water temperature is set at 80 degrees, 56% if water temperature is 86 degrees. The heat is retained with an insulated pool cover when it's not in use.
This is a closed-loop system with the panels filled with nontoxic glycol. A cupronickel heat exchanger is used to exchange the heat and deliver satisfactory corrosion resistance. This system is designed so that the solar panels can stagnate throughout the summer months without damage. The pool can expect an excess of heat during the summer months. If desired, additional heat exchangers could be installed to provide the hot shower water. With the gas boiler running at a minimum and an insulated pool cover installed, heat discharge to the outside should be cut to near nothing, saving a great deal of money in power and fuel costs.
This system has been operating for about 14 months now, and we can now compare current utility bills with those before the system was installed. So far, through the winter months, savings have added up. We will soon be posting this year's new utility bills comparing pre- and post-solar.
Who says solar doesn't pay? When it comes to swimming pools, it's big-time payback.
The Gunnison Valley Municipal Swimming Pool converted to solar hot water in summer 2001. The pool heats its water with 48 4-by-10-foot flat plate solar panels.
The solar panel angle is tilted for maximum average winter heat collection.
System components: 48 4-by-10 insulated flat plate solar panels with unions, racks, heat exchanger, collector pump, pool controls, sensors, air vents, expansion tank, high temperature nontoxic antifreeze, miscellaneous pressure gauges and pressure relief.
The cupronickel heat exchanger (at left) keeps the solar panels' heat in a glycol filled closed loop system. Cold, wintertime climates are no threat to its ability to heat water.
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