Solar pool heating has been a recognised method for heating pools for decades. Harnessing the power of the sun to reduce consumption of natural gas is nothing new. However, the initial costs of installing a solar pool heating system to warm thousands of gallons of water can be a challenge. This challenge has kept many pool owners from making the move to solar.
Now, however, the American company, Suntrek, is offering pool owners a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), enabling pool owners to only pay for the solar energy used to heat the pool, similar to paying for natural gas or electricity. Heat output is monitored and recorded, and a bill is prepared each month for the energy produced.
This arrangement also has additional benefits. “One difference between paying for a solar therm versus a gas therm is that gas usage is measured before the gas is used and most gas heaters are 70% efficient or less. A solar therm is measured after it is generated, meaning that 100% of the billed energy is used,” explained Suntrek in a recent press release.
Under the Solar Pool PPA, Suntrek owns and maintains the system for 15 years. The company guarantees that the pool owner will pay less over the life of the program. The process is simple. A Suntrek representative takes measurements and prepares an analysis showing how much gas usage can be offset by solar energy. A feasibility analysis is performed, and a proposal is generated. This shows the pool owner how much money they will save over the life of the program. Once the proposal is accepted, an agreement is drafted and the solar system is installed. The owner is then billed every month for solar energy.
"There are thousands of large pools that have to operate year-round," says Roy Heine, CEO of the company. "We have talked to the operators of these pools and many of them, such as school districts and municipalities, don't have the budget to install a system. But if they can get a system installed at no initial cost, save money on their energy charges, and reduce the wear and tear on their traditional heating systems, it becomes a no-brainer."
Suntrek Industries manufactures and distributes its proprietary solar pool heating collectors through its own offices located throughout the Southwestern United States and internationally via a distribution network of pool builders and dealers. The company has been installing solar pool heating since 1991, and also offers solar hot water heating and solar electricity.
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