Solar Pool Pumps: Costs and Benefits Explained
A backyard pool is the quintessential lifestyle accessory, having one can provide relief from the summer heat without a trip to the beach and provide hours of fun for family and friends on warmer days.
On the other hand, owning and operating a swimming pool costs a lot of money. Not only is it expensive to install, it is also expensive to run. By far the largest annual cost is the electricity to run the pool pump for basic filtration. This needs to be done year-round, but there may be fewer winter months when the pool is not used as often (if at all).
By one estimate, a typical inground swimming pool can account for 17 percent of a home's electricity usage, which can add $660 to $1,000 a year to a home's electric bill - even with the pump timer set to run overnight, which is cheapest when power is low.
How Does a Solar Pool Pump Work?
Solar pool pumps work the same way as regular grid-tie pool pumps. The main difference is that they use solar energy instead of household electricity to circulate and filter the water in your pool.
Note that you cannot simply hook up your existing pool pump to a couple of solar panels. You will need to purchase a new dedicated solar pool pump, also known as a direct current (DC) pool pump.
Solar pool pumps are just as efficient as traditional pool pumps and offer many similar features and options. Choosing the best solar pool pump for your pool will depend on a number of factors:
Pool Type: In-ground or above-ground pools use similar pumps, but pumps for in-ground pools typically require more horsepower to pump water out of the pool.
The Size of the Pump: Or the power output it produces. This is a key question and will be influenced by the size of the pool (in liters), the rate at which water is circulated through the pump, and the resistance the pool pump has to overcome. Manufacturers often have a handy guide or checklist to help you decide on the most efficient solar pool pump for your pool.
Talk to your local pool specialist or solar retailer about the right option for your pool and whether they offer complete packages including solar pool pumps, solar panels, and installation.
Why Solar Water Pumps Make Sense and Save Money?
Once you decide to install a dedicated solar power system for your pool filtration, you will need a solar pool pump kit which includes a solar pool pump and the solar panels to power it. The solar panel will be directly connected to the pool pump and when the sun is shining, your pool pump will run.
Benefits of Solar Water Pumps
Completely Off-Grid: Your pool pump is not connected to the grid, so you never pay an electric bill to power it.
No Permits Required: You don't need approval from your local energy grid to install solar panels connected to your pool pump because they are not connected to the grid. These panels do not count toward the maximum number of grid-connected solar panels you can install.
Mounting Options: Solar panels for pool pumps can be mounted anywhere so they don't have to take up valuable roof space. If you have the space, you can opt for a ground-mounted system, or mount it to a structure such as a carport, shed, or cabin.
Synchronized with the Sun: There is more sunlight in summer than in winter, so your solar water pump will run more frequently during the months when your pool is heavily used.
How Much Does a Solar Water Pump Cost to Install?
The benefits of an off-grid solar pool pump are obvious. But before you commit, consider the system's setup cost and projected operating life so you can compare it to the cost of running an existing grid-tied pool pump.
New Solar Pool Pump: You will need to replace your existing pool pump with a so-called direct current (DC) pool pump for solar connection, suitable for pools up to 90,000 liters in capacity. Solar pool pumps are relatively affordable, ranging in price from $250 to $750, depending on the brand and the power output needed to suit the size of your pool.
Solar Panels: How many solar panels you need to power your pool pump, and how much they cost to buy and install, depends on the number of panels needed to power your solar pool pump, how easy it is to install, and where you are located. Typically, you'll need four to six solar panels, which can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000 to purchase and install.
These estimated costs include installation, which needs to be done by a qualified professional.
Some retailers offer solar pool pump kits that include the pump, solar panel, cables, accessories, and mount for easy purchase and installation.
Once a solar pool pump system is installed, it costs next to nothing to run annually. Given the cost range for solar pool pumps and solar panels, the total cost to get up and running can range from under $2,000 to nearly $5,000.
When you compare that to the estimated annual cost of using grid electricity to power an existing pool pump, the payback period will be anywhere from three to seven years.
It's worth noting that while solar panels typically come with at least a 10-year warranty, solar pool pumps typically only have a two- to three-year warranty, so pump replacement should be factored into the cost recovery equation.
Note that direct-connected solar pool pumps are not grid-connected and therefore not eligible for feed-in tariffs to offset purchase and installation costs or reduce household electricity bills.
Energy not needed by the pool pump cannot be returned to the grid, it is just wasted. By the same token, if at any point in time there isn't enough solar power to power the pool pump, you won't be able to draw power from the grid.
The above briefly introduces some benefits and costs of solar pool pumps, if you want to buy solar water pumps, please contact us.
MAYGO is a professional custom pool pump manufacturer. MAYGO POOL focuses on providing professional technical solutions for residential and commercial swimming pools. At present, we have provided swimming pool solutions to thousands of customers in North America, South America, Europe, Australia, etc. We have a team of engineers and mold-making with rich experience in electromechanical and CFD hydraulic design. They are fully committed to research and development. MAYGO has obtained a number of patents, as well as CE, SAA, ETL, CCC, and CANS certifications.