Do Pool Solar Panels Really Save You Money?

As with all home renovation purchases, you want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck. This means that your ultimate goal for installing a pool is to use it as much as possible. If you live in a place that experiences colder seasons, your next purchase will be a pool heater so you can extend your swim season and enjoy swimming in a comfortable pool. When considering your different options for pool heaters, it’s important to consider the different costs that come with them. Some people ask themselves, “Why solar power?” Here are some of the ways that pool solar panels can start saving you money.

Invest in the Sun

At a glance, solar pool panels may seem like they are out of most people’s price range. With installation, they do cost a little more than some other heaters, but it’s an investment that begins paying off immediately. While other heaters require you to pay the gas or electric company every time you run them, with solar panels your heat is completely free courtesy of the sun. Even during the shoulder months of the season when you’ll use it more, solar energy is still free no matter how much you use it.

No Extra Charges for Sunlight

A solar pool heating system can pay for itself in 1 or 3 years. For the most part, a solar heating system lasts for 15-30 years, so you’ll be continuously saving a good amount of money. Gas and electric systems generally last a fraction of that time, so replacement costs must be taken into account.  Also, gas and electric rates always rise over time.  The sun won’t charge you extra.

Less Work, Less Problems

Another great selling point is that there is virtually no maintenance required for solar pool panels. Once the panels are installed, there is very little that you have to do to keep them in check. Most systems are designed to be self draining, which means they automatically protect themselves against freezing in the winter.  This means that you don’t even have to drain solar systems to prepare them for winter.  If your particular roof configuration does not enable a self-draining system, the system can easily be drained through a drain valve, or an automatic freeze protection control may be installed.