Solar & Pool Size: How Many Solar Panels Do I Need To Heat My Florida Pool?
To fully take advantage of this beautiful Florida weather year-round, many homeowners wonder if they can heat their pool with their solar panel system. The answer is yes, of course! But how many solar panels do you need to adequately heat your pool?
Well, that’s the question that we plan to answer today in this guide! Follow our team at Solar Bear Orlando as we outline what you need to know about heating your pool with the power from the sun.
Solar Panels & Solar Pool Heaters
When you want to heat your pool with a solar-powered heater, how many panels you need will ultimately depend on:
- Your location
- The orientation of your panels
- Shading impacts
- Panel type
- The panel performance rating
Also, the size of your swimming pool is one of the most important things to keep in mind. Now, we aren’t talking about how many gallons your pool holds. Instead, we are referring to the surface area of your pool in square feet.
Generally, we recommend that you need one square foot of solar panels for each square foot of pool surface. If you have trees or a structure that shades the pool, live near the coast with wind, or have less-than-ideal orientation, you may need more panels to adequately heat your pool.
Note: Even if the sun is shining and it’s warm out if your panels aren’t getting enough sun, they won’t be able to heat your pool adequately. Generally, pools that get ample sunlight will produce the best heating results.
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Is Your Pool Above or Inground?
If you have an inground pool, you will likely need more solar panels than an above-ground pool. This is due to inground pools having a larger surface area, and having more water means that you’ll need more energy to keep it warm.
How Many Panels Do I Need?
Though it varies widely, here are some rough estimates of how many solar panels you may need.
- Most Florida pools range in size from 12’x24’ to 15’x30’ with a square footage of around 288 to 450 sq ft.
- If you have 4’ x 12’ panels installed, you may need around 6-10 panels to heat your pool.
What if My System Is Undersized?
If you don’t have the optimal number of panels to heat your pool, that doesn’t mean that they still won’t be able to heat your pool. They just might not be as efficient as a “perfectly” sized system.
With the ideal setup, your Central Florida pool should be about 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than an unheated pool, and even 15 degrees warmer if it’s a covered pool. While you might not have the perfectly sized system to heat your pool, the resulting temperature from what you do have will still make your pool comfortable to swim in for most of the year, even without auxiliary heating systems.
Enjoy Warm Water Year Round
If you’re ready to install a solar pool heater at your Central Florida home, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at Solar Bear Orlando. We will ensure that your system is right-sized based on your location and if your pool is shaded by trees or structures like other homes or pergolas.
We want to help you enjoy your pool year-round. That’s the best part of living in Florida! Contact us today to get a quote for your solar installation at (727) 471-7442!