■ ■ ■ ■ SPECIAL DESIGN ELEMENTS Three solar panel arrays Timber-frame pool house Thermostat controls Rectangular inground pool BUILDER | Solar Wave Burlington, Ont. www.solarwaveenergy.com Tel: 905-399-3997 U N D E R T H E Using solar energy for eco-friendly pool heating Sun I In creating their own backyard resort, this homeowner in Campbellville, Ont., decided to use solar as a means to heat their new pool, not only for the environmental aspect, but also for the incredible energy savings it would afford over the life of their pool. The system’s design was a joint effort between the landscape architect and Solar Wave, a company specializing in the niche market of solar pool heating in Burlington, Ont. In this case, the solar panel system, which was installed exclusively by Solar Wave, was purposely oversized for the 3.6- x 15.2-m (12- x 50-ft) swimming pool, as the homeowner wanted to significantly extend their swimming season. To avoid compromising the design of the timber-frame pool house, the southwest-facing roof was extended at both the peak side and the eave to maximize the available area for fastening the solar panels without sacrificing the look of the backyard. As the solar system was installed as the pool’s primary and exclusive heating system, a certain panel array size was required. For instance, a 6.7- x 3.4-m panel was installed on the pool house, while another 3- x 2.7-m (10- x 9-ft) panel was attached to a covered hammock area, which was designed to provide additional space to fasten a supplementary solar panel. Finally, a third 6.1- x 3-m (20- x 10-ft) solar panel was installed on a separate, ground-mounted, stationary rack and set at a 20-degree pitch. The more perpendicular the solar panel is towards the sun, the more heat absorption. The entire solar heating system is thermostat controlled and is capable of maintaining the pool between 29.5 to 32 C (85 to 90 F). In comparison to a fossil fuel pool heater, the solar heating system reduces approximately 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) and saves the homeowner more than $1,500 annually. Pools, Spas & Patios ■ www.poolsspaspatios.com 33 1:23:17 PM PSP_Annual_2011(1).indd Sec1:1 Solar Wave_1_SApp.indd 33 3/16/11 12:09:47 PM 3/2/11 9:01:55 AM