Solar Energy in Canada DIY
Credit due to: www.cansia.ca and Jeffery Knapp
rn
Solar Energy in Canada: Solar energy can meet three distinct applications: heating water, heating air, and generation ofrnelectricity in any residential or commercial setting. In mostrncases, solar energy provides the lowest life cycle cost, and the lowestrnenvironmental impact from the release of greenhouse gases (GHG).
rn
rn
Designing Solar Energy for your Pool
rn
Solar energy can be used to heat the water in a swimming pool, inrnorder to extend the swimming season from May to September, while reducing the heatingrncosts significantly and reducing the environmental damage from conventionalrnfuel sources.
rn
Without a heating unit, an outdoor pool will reach 21oC (70oF) byrnJune, or by May if you add a solar blanket and a solar heating un it. The poolrnwill retain that temperature until the end of September in a typical summer.
rn
Automatic control
rn
With a solar heater, water from the pool is circulated by the pumprnthrough low-profile, south-facing panels, called solar collectors, that arerninstalled on the roof. Electronic sensors tell a sola r control unit that therernis enough sunlight available to heat the pool water, and the controller divertsrnthe water into the collectors. Properly oriented collectors will start to heatrna pool b y 8:30 in the morning, and will capture the solar energy until 6:30rnthat evening.
rn
Once pool temperatures reach the desired point, the controllerrnautomatically adjusts the position of the system valve to allow the water tornbypass the solar heater and maintain the desired temperature. Solar poolrnheating expenses are lower than fuel burning alternatives. The cost of a solarrnsystem will vary with the size of the pool and the type of
rn
installation, and require no separate heat exchange unit. A solarrnsystem for an 18’ diameter pool will cost $1,200, while a 20 x 40’ rectangularrnpool would cost $3,200. All figures are estimates, and will depend on a numberrnof site-specific issues.
A 16 x 32” pool would cost $2,500 to install, compared with $1,40 0 for arnsystem to heat with natural gas or oil, but the latter will require $800 a yearrnin operating costs to purchase the fuel. After just five years, the total costrnfor the solar system would be $2,500, but the oil/gas unit would have costrn$5,400. After ten years, solar would still be at $2,500, while the morerntraditional option would be $9,400 and counting.
rn
As the cost of natural gas and oil continues to rise, the economicrnbenefits of solar energy become obvious. Solar heating systems include only onernmoving part, a water diversion valve, and require almost no maintenance. Solarrnmanufacturers offer a 10 to 15 year full replacement warranty, and some offer arnlimited lifetime warranty, compared with a standard 4 year warranty on gas andrnoil heaters. Fossil fuel heaters require maintenance of burner nozzles, firingrnchambers and chimneys, with annual maintenance at $100.
Location
rn
Orientation of the solar collectors is crucial to the efficientrnoperation of a solar pool heater. The collectors must face between southeastrnand southwest, and need to be tilted at 60o angle above horizontal. Any otherrnorientation will lose performance efficiency, but can be considered. The bestrnspot for collectors depends on several
rn
factors specific to the site. They should be installed in arnlocation to minimize the length of plumbing required, and it is important thatrnthey not be shaded by nearby trees or buildings. They must also be firmlyrnattached to their moorings to avoid damage from high winds.
rn
There are four location choices for pool collectors:
rn
– Flush-mounted on the roof if the roof’s tilt angle (angle abovernthe horizontal) is close to 60o, and the roof’s azimuth angle (east-westrnorientation) is south.
rn
– Rack-mounted on the roof if the roof is flat.
rn
– Rack-mounted on a south-facing wall or fence if the roof doesrnnot offer southern exposure. This rack should angle the bottom of therncollectors to achieve a tilt angle of 60o.
rn
– Rack-mounted on the ground close to the pool in order to obtainrnthe proper orientation. A rack will cost more, but will increase collectorrnperformance if the other options are no t optimal.
In most of Canada, the sun traverses the sky at approximately 60 o above thernhorizon in May, and reaches a maximum angle of 70 o by summer solstice (Junern21) before descending to 60 o by late September. In designing a layout for thernlocation of the collectors, you must remember that the ‘magnetic north’ of a compassrnis not the ‘true north’ path of the sun. Collectors should be oriented as closernas possible to ‘true north’ for maximum efficiency.
rn
Some municipalities in Canada have by-laws which restrict the hrneight of construction or have specific building code regulations which mayrnprohibit certain choices for plumbing and/or electrical work. Be sure tornconsult local authorities before finalizing any plans to install a solar energyrnpool heater.
A solar pool heater is compatible with any existing pump andrnfilter in a swimming pool. The solar system is attached to existing plumbingrnbetween the filter and the pool, and a valve is installed in the return line torndivert the pool water through the solar collectors when the pool requiresrnheating. At night or when the pool is up to the desired temperature, the valvernreturns the pool water directly to the pool without a detour to the collectors.rnThe pool water is always pumped and filtered in exactly the same way as it wasrnbefore the solar system was added.
rn
Author: Jeffrey Knapp
rn
rn
The Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA), with assistance from Natural ResourcesrnCanada, has produced this series of bulletins to explainrnthe feasible applications of solar energy in Canada. To demonstrate how you canrnput the sun to work for you, CanSIA has posted these bulletins on its internetrnhomepage, with additional information on solar energy and a comprehensive directoryrnof companies that are involved in the design, sale and installation of solarrnenergy across Canada. Members of CanSIA comply with a Code of Ethics. Please gornto www.CanSIA.ca, or contact our office:
rn
2415 Holly Lane, Suite 250, Ottawa, ON K1V 7P2
rn
(613) 736-9077 (fax) 736-8938 (email) [email protected]
rn
rn
Credit due to: www.cansia.ca and Jeffery Knapp
Credit due to: www.cansia.ca and Jeffery Knapp
rn
Solar Energy in Canada: Solar energy can meet three distinct applications: heating water, heating air, and generation ofrnelectricity in any residential or commercial setting. In mostrncases, solar energy provides the lowest life cycle cost, and the lowestrnenvironmental impact from the release of greenhouse gases (GHG).
rn
rn
Designing Solar Energy for your Pool
rn
Solar energy can be used to heat the water in a swimming pool, inrnorder to extend the swimming season from May to September, while reducing the heatingrncosts significantly and reducing the environmental damage from conventionalrnfuel sources.
rn
Without a heating unit, an outdoor pool will reach 21oC (70oF) byrnJune, or by May if you add a solar blanket and a solar heating un it. The poolrnwill retain that temperature until the end of September in a typical summer.
rn
Automatic control
rn
With a solar heater, water from the pool is circulated by the pumprnthrough low-profile, south-facing panels, called solar collectors, that arerninstalled on the roof. Electronic sensors tell a sola r control unit that therernis enough sunlight available to heat the pool water, and the controller divertsrnthe water into the collectors. Properly oriented collectors will start to heatrna pool b y 8:30 in the morning, and will capture the solar energy until 6:30rnthat evening.
rn
Once pool temperatures reach the desired point, the controllerrnautomatically adjusts the position of the system valve to allow the water tornbypass the solar heater and maintain the desired temperature. Solar poolrnheating expenses are lower than fuel burning alternatives. The cost of a solarrnsystem will vary with the size of the pool and the type of
rn
installation, and require no separate heat exchange unit. A solarrnsystem for an 18’ diameter pool will cost $1,200, while a 20 x 40’ rectangularrnpool would cost $3,200. All figures are estimates, and will depend on a numberrnof site-specific issues.
A 16 x 32” pool would cost $2,500 to install, compared with $1,40 0 for arnsystem to heat with natural gas or oil, but the latter will require $800 a yearrnin operating costs to purchase the fuel. After just five years, the total costrnfor the solar system would be $2,500, but the oil/gas unit would have costrn$5,400. After ten years, solar would still be at $2,500, while the morerntraditional option would be $9,400 and counting.
rn
As the cost of natural gas and oil continues to rise, the economicrnbenefits of solar energy become obvious. Solar heating systems include only onernmoving part, a water diversion valve, and require almost no maintenance. Solarrnmanufacturers offer a 10 to 15 year full replacement warranty, and some offer arnlimited lifetime warranty, compared with a standard 4 year warranty on gas andrnoil heaters. Fossil fuel heaters require maintenance of burner nozzles, firingrnchambers and chimneys, with annual maintenance at $100.
Location
rn
Orientation of the solar collectors is crucial to the efficientrnoperation of a solar pool heater. The collectors must face between southeastrnand southwest, and need to be tilted at 60o angle above horizontal. Any otherrnorientation will lose performance efficiency, but can be considered. The bestrnspot for collectors depends on several
rn
factors specific to the site. They should be installed in arnlocation to minimize the length of plumbing required, and it is important thatrnthey not be shaded by nearby trees or buildings. They must also be firmlyrnattached to their moorings to avoid damage from high winds.
rn
There are four location choices for pool collectors:
rn
– Flush-mounted on the roof if the roof’s tilt angle (angle abovernthe horizontal) is close to 60o, and the roof’s azimuth angle (east-westrnorientation) is south.
rn
– Rack-mounted on the roof if the roof is flat.
rn
– Rack-mounted on a south-facing wall or fence if the roof doesrnnot offer southern exposure. This rack should angle the bottom of therncollectors to achieve a tilt angle of 60o.
rn
– Rack-mounted on the ground close to the pool in order to obtainrnthe proper orientation. A rack will cost more, but will increase collectorrnperformance if the other options are no t optimal.
In most of Canada, the sun traverses the sky at approximately 60 o above thernhorizon in May, and reaches a maximum angle of 70 o by summer solstice (Junern21) before descending to 60 o by late September. In designing a layout for thernlocation of the collectors, you must remember that the ‘magnetic north’ of a compassrnis not the ‘true north’ path of the sun. Collectors should be oriented as closernas possible to ‘true north’ for maximum efficiency.
rn
Some municipalities in Canada have by-laws which restrict the hrneight of construction or have specific building code regulations which mayrnprohibit certain choices for plumbing and/or electrical work. Be sure tornconsult local authorities before finalizing any plans to install a solar energyrnpool heater.
A solar pool heater is compatible with any existing pump andrnfilter in a swimming pool. The solar system is attached to existing plumbingrnbetween the filter and the pool, and a valve is installed in the return line torndivert the pool water through the solar collectors when the pool requiresrnheating. At night or when the pool is up to the desired temperature, the valvernreturns the pool water directly to the pool without a detour to the collectors.rnThe pool water is always pumped and filtered in exactly the same way as it wasrnbefore the solar system was added.
rn
Author: Jeffrey Knapp
rn
rn
The Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA), with assistance from Natural ResourcesrnCanada, has produced this series of bulletins to explainrnthe feasible applications of solar energy in Canada. To demonstrate how you canrnput the sun to work for you, CanSIA has posted these bulletins on its internetrnhomepage, with additional information on solar energy and a comprehensive directoryrnof companies that are involved in the design, sale and installation of solarrnenergy across Canada. Members of CanSIA comply with a Code of Ethics. Please gornto www.CanSIA.ca, or contact our office:
rn
2415 Holly Lane, Suite 250, Ottawa, ON K1V 7P2
rn
(613) 736-9077 (fax) 736-8938 (email) [email protected]
rn
rn
Credit due to: www.cansia.ca and Jeffery Knapp
