How long will polypropylene solar collectors last before I need to replace them?
Millions of square feet of polypropylene solar pool heating collector panels have been operating in the field since the late 1970s. You can easily expect 20 to 30 years of service from high quality solar pool collectors.
What is ideal direction and tilt angle for a solar pool heating system?
Solar pool heating collectors installed in the northern hemisphere should ideally face south. As long as the solar collectors face within 45 degrees or so of true south, heating performance will be pretty much the same as for due south. Solar pool heating collectors can also be face east or west and deliver the same performance as south-facing collectors by increasing the collector area (assuming enough roof area is available.
As for tilt angle, the ideal for winter heating is to tilt the collectors at an angle equal to the degree latitude plus 15 degrees. However, solar pool heating collectors are usually mounted directly on a sloping roof for aesthetic reasons. While this typically results in a more shallow tilt angle, which may result in a slight performance loss during the winter months (between two and eight percent), the difference doesn’t really matter because most Floridians don’t swim during the coldest winter weather.
Should my solar collector panels be removed from the roof if a hurricane is approaching?
No. The mounting systems for all solar collectors approved for installation within Florida are engineered to withstand hurricane windloads. It is not unusual to see completely intact banks of roof-mounted solar panels on a heavily damaged house following a hurricane.
Should I be concerned about roof penetrations? Is it possible that expansion and contraction of the solar panels over time might cause the roof penetrations to leak?
No. First, polypropylene solar pool heating collectors do indeed expand and contract throughout the day, so our mounting systems are designed to allow the solar collector panels to “float” inside the roof mounting straps, free to expand and contract as needed without putting any strain on the mounting hardware roof penetrations.
Second, conventional sealants can lose elasticity over time. This is not a significant issue for applications like window and bathtub caulking, but the extreme temperatures experienced on a roof surface are a different story. So our roof mounting penetrations are sealed with a special high technology sealant, originally developed for the aerospace industry. This sealant has been proven to maintain its elasticity over several decades.
Will expansion and contraction of the solar panels damage my roof?
No. Solar panel expansion and contraction occurs so slowly that it is not apparent to the naked eye. And such a slow rate of movement has no effect on your roof surface.
Will the heat generated by the black solar panels damage my roof?
No. Quite the opposite. Solar pool heating collectors actually protect the portion of roof they cover because the sun’s energy is being absorbed and carried away by the pool water circulating through the panels. Also, because a bank of solar pool heating collector panels typically covers a fairly large area of roof, it can keep your attic a bit cooler whenever the system is operating.
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