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Info from the Manufacturer
In the solar heating world there were two established choices,
the bubble pack blanket and solar panels. Now there is a third choice,
Solar Sun Rings. All solar uses the same sunlight but each approach
uses it in different ways.
Let’s look at how they stack up to each other.
1.The bubble pack blanket is made from polyethylene an opaque plastic.
They generate almost no heat and what heat they do generate is surface
heat. The general recommendation is to cut the blanket to precisely fit
the swimming pool to get the maximum heat. This causes mustard algae
due to lack of direct sunlight and alkalinity due to the inability of
the decomposition products of the pool chemicals to escape into the
atmosphere. The bubble pack blanket is inexpensive and inefficient.
2.Solar panels derive their heat by absorbing the sun’s energy. The
panels are normally placed in an area that will receive maximum
sunlight. The collector is generally unsightly. Solar Panels generate
heat at about 1000 BTUs per square foot at the discharge from the
collector. The panels require a pump to be operated at peak hours to
circulate the water. Over the course of a full day about 30% of the
heat put into the pool is lost by evaporation and advection. This gives
a heat benefit to the swimming pool of about 700 BTUs per square foot
of collector. Solar Panels are efficient but very expensive and require
additional energy to work.
3.Solar Sun Rings are rated at 21,000 BTUs for each ring per day. At
about 19.6 square feet per Solar Sun Ring that is a daily heat benefit
to the swimming pool of about 1070 BTUs per square foot of collector.
This is accomplished by a combined high efficiency utilization of the
sun’s energy and insulating entrapped air in the device itself. This
heat output is also accomplished without the daily cost of operating a
pump. If we look at the numbers, Solar Sun Rings exceed solar panels
performance by 30% per square foot and cost about 1/20th the price.
Installation and removal take only minutes by one person and add
festive colors to your pool. The design and recommended use of Solar
Sun Rings eliminates the mustard algae and alkalinity of the blanket.
It is not necessary to operate a pump at peak hours to get the heat
into your pool. Solar Sun Rings are the most efficient solar
collectors, generate the greatest heat benefit to a pool per square
foot, require no additional energy and are inexpensive.
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