A New Approach To Solar Pool Heating
Solar Hybrid Electric Pool Heating is simply a solar electric system coupled with an electric heat pump pool heater. You can use your existing pool heater if you have one or we can install a high-efficiency heater when installing your solar panels.
Why Now?
For decades, traditional passive solar pool heating systems were the most economical way to heat swimming pools in Southwest Florida. They are simple and provide pool temperatures up to 10 degrees above an unheated pool by passing water through the panels on the roof where water is passively heated based on the conditions. Don’t get us wrong – we installed thousands of traditional solar pool heating panels over the years, and most clients were mostly satisfied with the results.
But times are changing, and technology has evolved. There is now a better approach, and we are modernizing the solar pool heating experience.
As good as they are, traditional solar pool heaters are plagued with many problems. They are limited in the amount of heat that can be added to a pool because they are highly dependent on the weather. They are not highly resistant to hurricane winds since they are simply plastic panels that can easily catch wind and tear (hurricanes Irma and Ian proved this dramatically). Maintenance problems will eventually catch up with every system, with recurring leaks being the main issue, causing roof damage, downtime, and client frustration. And the cost of these systems has been on the rise in recent years due to material costs (plastics are made from petroleum) and increasing labor costs as a percentage of the system price.
Inflection Point – New Approach
At the same time, solar electric systems have plummeted in price and electric heat pumps have become much more efficient. We are at an inflection point where the cost of a SHEPH system now makes more sense, especially when you consider the longevity and ancillary benefits. Innovations in the industry have made the solar electricity market absolutely boom across the nation. We have been a long-time installer of whole-home solar electric systems, but now we can offer small solar electric systems to offset traditional electric heating costs at prices competitive to traditional passive solar pool heaters. It doesn’t hurt that there is a massive Federal Tax Credit for solar electric systems!
Remember when traditional CRT TVs were being replaced with flat screens? That’s where we are in the solar pool heating industry.
Top Features
The SHEPH system is a much more modern approach to pool heating. It combines the elegance of solar photovoltaic panels with the power to do much more than traditional panels. It is superior to traditional passive solar pool heating for several reasons. The most important are:
Comparison Table
| TRADITIONAL | HYBRID | |
| Initial Price | $$ | $$$ |
| Tax Credit | None | -$ |
| Net Price | $$ | $$ |
| Solar Panel Lifespan | 10 – 12 Years | 25 – 40 Years |
| Manufacturer’s Warranty | 12 Years, Non-Transferrable | 25 Years, Transferable |
| Roof Compatibility | Fair | Universal |
| Financing | Not Available | Readily Available |
| Monitoring | None | Free for Life |
| Maximum Temp | 10-12 Degree Rise | 104ºF |
| Performance | Weather Dependent | All Conditions, Day or Night |
| Operating Costs | Minimal | Controllable |
| Maintenance | Infrequent, Nuisance Leaks | Rare, Inconsequential |
| Replacement | Complete System | Heat Pump Only |
| Storm Resistance | Fair | Excellent |
| Heating Speed | Slow | Moderate |
| Spa Heating Suitability | Poor | Excellent |
| Upgradeability | None | Flexible |
Pricing above is for example systems that are typical for the average pool and heating scenario.
Size Comparison
Comparison Details
Click each card below to compare Solar Hybrid Electric Pool Heating to Traditional Passive Solar Pool Heating.
Quantifiable
There is no substitute for proving that your solar panels are working. You would never know the real performance of a traditional solar pool heater, but a hybrid solar pool heater has a completely transparent performance, so it is manageable. You can ensure you are getting what you paid for.
Subjective
While you might know your pool temperature, you will never really know how well your solar panels are working, except by comparing your pool temperature to unheated pools.
Nothing Wasted
Lost Energy
You're paying for something you only use during some months and days.
Performance
If you have a spa, a solar hybrid electric pool heater will work in all conditions, day or night because the heating component is separated from the solar component.
Less Than Ideal
If you have a spa, passive solar pool heating will not allow you to heat it quickly enough for spontaneous use and will not reach a desirable temperature at all times of the year. You also can’t heat a spa at night or in inclement weather with a passive heater.
Longevity
Shorter Lifespan
Aesthetics
Not Attractive
Storm Resistant
Hurricane Ian resulted in only very minor and scattered damage to solar electric panels across Southwest Florida, which we can't say about traditional solar pool heaters. Solar electric panels are made of aluminum frames and tempered glass. They actually help protect the underlying roof during catastrophic winds!
Damage Prone
Plastic panels are also prone to rodent damage and damage from shifting on your roof over time because they are designed to expand and contract and can move in even light winds.
Maintenance
Moving Parts
Upgradeable
The SHEPH features the exact same solar panels, microinverters, and monitoring system we install for whole-home solar systems and is 100% compatible if you choose to upgrade later. Software updates can even be done remotely!
Limited
Operating Costs
Avoided Cost
Downsides to Solar Hybrid Electric Pool Heating
Surely there must be some downsides, as there are with any pool heating option.
At first glance, the initial cost might make you think that solar electricity can’t compete with solar thermal pool heating. But the economics have changed, and many factors have leveled the playing field. There are several mitigating factors:
- There is a very generous 30% Federal Tax Credit for solar electricity systems. There are no incentives for solar thermal pool heaters.
- Since solar electric panels last more than twice as long as solar pool heating panels, you will need to consider the cost of replacing a traditional solar pool heating system at least once to make an apples-to-apples comparison. While you may need to replace your heat pump at some point with a hybrid solar electric pool heater, the cost is far less than a complete solar pool heating system, and the most expensive component, the solar panels, will last over twice as long.
- Hybrid solar electric pool heating systems qualify for extremely competitive and low-cost financing that is easy to get. You can finance a solar electric system much easier than a solar thermal pool heating system.
Other downsides to hybrid solar electric pool heating systems are longer permitting timeframes and slightly higher permit fees in select areas (Naples and Sanibel in particular). There is also a small amount of paperwork (that we facilitate) and LCEC charges a $35 interconnection fee (no fee for FPL). The installation requires that you are home or allow us access to get into your attic in most cases. You need to provide us with a good WiFi signal near your pool equipment. You may need to be present for an inspection by the City/County (or we can arrange to be there for you if necessary).
Other than that, we can’t think of any reason not to select a Solar Hybrid Electric Pool Heater over a traditional passive solar pool heater today.
Solar Hybrid Electric Pool Heating has a smaller footprint with sleek panels and no exposed plumbing on the roof.
Traditional Solar Pool Heating takes up a huge amount of roof space and uses bulky panels with exposed PVC plumbing on the roof.
FAQs
While everyone’s desired pool temperature is different and pool use frequency varies, we find that, on average, people really use their pools around 40 – 80 times per year and want their pool to be 80º – 85ºF on days that they use it. Based on the amount of electricity a quality heat pump uses and the above parameters, the average pool owner will need to generate about 4 Megawatt-Hours of electricity per year to offset this heating need. Six well-oriented solar panels will typically cover this electricity usage annually.
If you plan to heat your pool more often or to higher temperatures, consider adding panels to your system. Because it is modular, a hybrid solar electric pool heater can be expanded to a maximum of 11 panels before stepping into a more “whole home” system. This is because 11 microinverters is the maximum on a single 20 amp circuit, allowing an economical connection at a typical pool equipment pad.
Absolutely! If you have an older heat pump, you may need more solar panels to offset its energy use, or you can offset a portion of its energy consumption until you upgrade at a future date.
If you do not have a heat pump, we can help you with that. The electrical circuit is shared with the solar panels, so there is no extra cost for electrical upgrades, if necessary.
A heat pump is an electrical appliance similar to the outdoor unit of an air conditioner, but designed to operate in reverse. A compressor is used to take latent heat from the air and amplify it with a fluid (refrigerant), and a heat exchanger efficiently transfers the heat to your pool water which runs through it. The byproduct is cool air and condensation. It is the most efficient way to heat a pool in Southwest Florida because we have ideal conditions for air source heat pumps.
Because heat pumps use a substantial amount of electricity to heat pools, it makes sense to offset that consumption with solar electric panels to keep your operating costs down.
You can add panels to offset the electricity that your pool pump uses as well, and we can monitor your pool pump energy use as well if you would like (combined total energy use with your pool heater). In fact, if you don’t heat your pool at all, you can install solar electric panels to just offset your pool filter pump’s electrical usage. Depending on pump size and type, most pool systems need 3-5 solar panels to cover the pump’s electrical use.
Yes, this is a grid-interactive, net metered system, just like the whole home systems you see. We will help you with the interconnection paperwork processing for your utility company (FPL or LCEC).
We use industry-leading mounts, rails, fasteners, and sealants that are the same as those used on our whole house systems. QuickMount PV, IronRidge, and S-5 are the primary brands we use for mounting systems. The system is engineered in accordance with the Florida Building Code with site-specific drawings signed and sealed by a Florida Licensed Professional Engineer.
A Solar 6-Pack will require 10–14 mounts to secure the system to your roof depending on where you live and other factors used to determine wind uplift design parameters.
Unlike a traditional solar pool heater, the panels do not rest on your roof surface and there is no unsightly strapping required. All mounting points are hidden under the solar panels.
We offer very affordable flat-rate pricing to remove and reinstall solar electric panels, with labor as low as $100 per panel* at this time plus any components and sealants that are needed for reinstallation.
Solar pool heating systems are much more expensive to remove and reinstall because there is a lot of plumbing and typically there are many small parts and fittings that need to be replaced.
* Tile roofs are higher
Installing solar panels doesn’t mean you should expect to have unlimited free pool heating.
Systems are designed to offset the electrical consumption of a heat pump for typical use cases and conditions.
For example, if you try to heat your pool to 90ºF when it’s 40ºF outside, you will use a tremendous amount of electricity. A typically sized solar panel system is not designed to offset that. But we can go as big as you wish. If you want your pool to be 90ºF 365 days a year, we can design a system for that.
The good news is that because the system is quantifiable and easily monitored, you can see exactly how your heating usage compares to your solar production over time.
