Overheating Solar Panels

[hbv2020]

We are trying to decide between solar panels and a heat pump for our Tampa, FL area pool. Today someone told us that when unused, during the summer, the solar panels can boil the water that is in them, or if left dry, can be damaged by excessive heat.

[Ezrio315]

If you want to heat your pool quickly and easily than I suggest you to use a heat pump because it works effectively and less energy required. Cost of Solar panel are very high so you should have choose a heat pump even you can use solar pool heat pump to heat your pool. It is efficient and cost effective.

[PoolMaster]

Have you looked at Heliocol? It's not solar panels, but looks like small black tubes that absorb heat. This may be a better option for you.

[JasperTuner]

 

If you want to heat your pool quickly and easily than I suggest you to use a heat pump because it works effectively and less energy required. Cost of Solar panel are very high so you should have choose a heat pump even you can use solar pool heat pump to heat your pool. It is efficient and cost effective.

 

Personally I have gone for heat pumps.. I have searched lot about these panels they are lot expensive with little efficiency..

[chem geek]

Good solar panels (Heliocol was mentioned, but Fafco is a good brand and what I have) usually drain when not actively in use and they are designed to resist any problems from heating up in the sun. I've had ours for 11 years now without any serious incidents, just normal maintenance (a rare occasional leak gets plugged; annual winterizing). We're not in Florida, but there are lots of people with solar panels in Florida, mostly for heating during the off season since with a good solar cover you may not need much if any extra heating during the summer season.

We also have a natural gas heater that we use to extend the season, but see my heat pump comments below.

As for efficiency, it's simply not true that solar panels are not efficient if one is talking about solar HEATING panels for swimming pools. They are roughly 80% efficient. It's solar ELECTRICITY panels that are expensive and not that efficient. As for a heat pump, that requires electricity to operate and will cost more than the pump electricity cost to drive the solar panel. The good news with a heat pump is that due to the coefficient of performance (COP) it is able to transfer heat more efficiently than direct heating by electricity or gas -- figure more than 4 and up to 6 maximum (usually more like 4-5 in Florida). Note that for comparable pricing a heat pump has lower output than a gas heater so will take longer to heat a pool if it's cool, but for maintaining temperature it's sometimes a better choice unless electricity rates are quite a bit higher than equivalent gas rates. Florida Power and Light residential rates are reasonable electrical rates under 10 cents per kWh (under 293 cents per Therm equiv.) and Florida Public Utility gas rates of around 50 cents per Therm (equiv. to 1.7 cents per kWh) so the ratio is 6 or less which makes a heat pump not quite the slam dunk choice compared to natural gas heating but probably worth it.