Solar Pool Heater Calculator

Size a solar thermal system for swimming pool heating based on pool area, desired temperature, and climate.

Input Parameters

Results

--
Daily Heat Loss
BTU
--
Collector Area
ft²
--
Collector/Pool Ratio
%
--
Initial Warmup
days
Note: Unglazed collectors are standard for pool heating (50-70% efficient). Collector area is typically 50-100% of pool surface area. Pool covers reduce heat loss 50-70%.

Reference

Evap Loss = Area x Evap Rate x 1050 BTU/lb x ΔT factor Convection Loss = Area x (1 + 0.3 x Wind) x ΔT x 24 Total Daily Loss = Evap + Convection [BTU] Collector Area = Loss / (Solar Radiation x Coll Eff) Collector/Pool Ratio typically 50-100%