Going Solar need your help

[brent.roberts]

Here is a link that has all the unbiased information you need to make a good decision. It is the Florida State University of Central Florida .

http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/solar/instal...t/poolinst.htm

It has sections for other solar applications as well as pools.

I find the navigation around the site very UN-intuititve. You'll have to work at finding the good stuff.
For example you'll need to do a lot of mining to find this page,

http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/solar/testce.../tprpoolap.htm

which is half of the efficiency testing of panels for pools, this is makers A to P. Q to Z is nearby. ( they do have another for domestic hot water heaters )

The rule of thumb seems to be
1) the cheapest panels have the least amount of plastic and are the least durable and the poorest investment
2) they ( the cheapest) seem to rate pretty high on the efficiency test because they have thin walls, but are again not the best investment.

I selected Techno-solis using this guide. Our home lot is on a hill with the pool just about at the top, so a south facing slope became a great site for the panels. They are literally just thrown on the ground and connected to the plumbing. The dogs chase the rabbits across them. I walk on them. Snow sits on them all winter. Absolutely no problems.

Anyway, read up and you'll make get what you need.