News Article
Solar Applications Are More Than Electricity
Solar energy is used to good effect in pool heating
Research by Anglia Ruskin University has revealed that a transparent or clear pool covers permit 100% of solar energy to pass through them and heat the pool for free. The research was financed by ground-breaking swimming pool insulation specialists Thermapool who have designed and launched a product called Thermacover.
"The Thermacover not only allows the heat of the sun through to the pool but it is also laced with air bubbles that act as an insulating layer, protecting the pool from winds and night time cooling," said Nigel Rose , the founder and CEO of Thermapool.
The efficiency of the Thermacover is so impressive that Mr Rose has guaranteed his customers (with outdoor pools insulated with Thermapool and using the Thermacover) that they will not need to heat their swimming pools on summer days when conditions are warm and sunny.The Thermapool Thermacover allows pools to absorb 1KW per hour for every square meter of the cover's size.
"That means for an average 10 x 5 meter swimming pool you will be absorbing 50 kW per hour into your swimming pool, heating your pool water for free," said Mr Rose.
Traditional pool covers block the sun's rays, absorbing or filtering the sun's energy or even reflecting it back into the atmosphere. Effectively all other covers are shading the whole swimming pool from this free solar energy.
"This was proven by the university when they took a black solar cover off a swimming pool and the pool water rose up by 5 degrees within an hour," said Mr Rose.
"South facing conservators have a bronze tinged glass or blinds to stop them getting too hot and cars in Florida have blacked out windows to do the same."
Nigel Rose has spent many years researching swimming pool insulation and in 2006 he commissioned research from Kingston University, which, put together with data from BRE (an independent consultancy with expertise in the building industry) showed how heat loss from swimming pools was contributing to our national carbon emissions.
"This made the Government sit up and take notice. I was able to prove that insulating swimming pools to the same standard as walls and lofts would add a carbon saving of 35% to the national "˜green' account," said Mr Rose.
In October last year, as a result of Mr Rose's lobbying, Government included indoor swimming pools in Part L of the building relations, bringing them into line with the same insulation requirements pertaining to domestic and commercial buildings "“ outdoor pools are to be included in 2013.
"If all UK swimming pools were insulated with Thermapool the energy saved would reduce CO2 by 786,279 tonnes each year, the equivalent of a forest of 86 million trees. That's enough trees to cover Greater London!" said Mr Rose.
