ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, September 24, 1996 TAG: 9609240044
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: At Home With Technology
SOURCE: DAVID BUTLER
Q: I'm building a new home with an in-ground swimming pool and was thinking about using solar collectors to heat the water. Is this practical?
Q: I'm building a new home with an in-ground swimming pool and was thinking about using solar collectors to heat the water. Is this practical?
A: A pool heater can extend your swimming season well into the 'shoulder' months. After making a sizable investment in a swimming pool, it's only natural that you'd want to use it as much as possible! Most pool heaters rely on natural gas, electricity (heat pump) or solar energy.
During solar's heyday, federal tax credits often made the difference between a system that paid for itself and one that couldn't. Viewed from a dollars and cents perspective, it didn't make much sense to spend several thousand dollars for a solar water heater that might save only a few hundred dollars a year. However, the tax credit dramatically changed solar economics.
Now that the federal subsidy is history, solar equipment must stand on its own. Fortunately, prices have dropped substantially in recent years. A robust export market (due in part to high energy prices abroad) has led to economies of scale.
Is solar right for you? You'll need to answer these questions: How much more does the equipment cost (as compared to a conventional heating system)? Given your locale, how much electricity or gas will a solar heater save? How much do you pay for energy? How long might you expect to benefit from the equipment?
A professional dealer/installer can help answer these questions. However, be wary of an analysis that assumes an unreasonable rate of inflation for energy. Alternative energy pioneers once operated under the premise that energy prices would rise much faster than inflation. To the contrary, the past decade has seen energy prices actually decline in real dollars.
If you prefer to run the numbers yourself, or at least be a bit more savvy when talking with a dealer, you can obtain location-specific guidelines and formulas for solar products from a several sources. Here are two of the best: the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (Merrifield, Va.) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (Washington, D.C.).
In general, solar swimming pool heaters are easier to justify than solar domestic water heaters. The equipment is simpler and less expensive (no storage tank or dedicated pump required). And because the desired temperature rise is small (usually less than ten degrees), you can opt for unglazed (open) collector panels. A simple grid of 1.5-inch black ABS tubing works fine in southern climates.
Collectors are most often mounted on a south-facing roof, although ground-level systems also work well (provided shade isn't a problem). Orientation is less critical the further south you live. Even in northern locations, the collectors can be as much as 15 degrees off due-south.
Since in-ground pools lose most of their heat through the surface, a swimming pool cover is a must. During shoulder months, keep the pool covered as much as possible... well, except when you're in the pool!
There's little doubt, barring a dramatic breakthrough in renewable energy technology, that our nation will someday face another energy crisis. The planet's supply of fossil fuel is finite. Demand is not. And many of the world's people are just beginning to enjoy the benefits of an energy-based lifestyle.
However, you needn't wait for energy prices to soar. Solar energy is viable today. It's simply a matter of applying the appropriate technology in the appropriate circumstances.
To receive a list of companies that manufacture solar heaters for swimming pools, domestic hot water and space heaters, please send $2 and a self-addressed envelope to David Butler F-622, Department TWN, P.O. Box 36352, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236-0352. The list includes toll-free phone numbers and a summary of each company's products, as well as several excellent resources for information on solar thermal, photovoltaics and other renewable energy technologies.
Q: I've noticed many consumer products with solar power cells, from watches and calculators to car battery chargers and outdoor lights. Could this same technology be scaled up to power our homes?
A: Solar-generated electricity, or photovoltaics, is a hot area of research. However, the technology is still relatively expensive, especially for high-power applications. Most 'solar-powered' products actually run on batteries, relying on solar energy for recharging.
Send questions or comments to Butler at 14713 Pleasant Hill Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28278.
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: This solar swimming-pool heating system uses theby CNBexisting pump to circulate water through the collector array.