Eglin pool stays warm through solar technology

  • Published
  • By Samuel King Jr.
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Just in time for Energy Awareness Month, Eglin's base pool has gone green.

A newly installed solar-powered system used to heat the pool's water is in place and actively keeping any chill off the water.

The system is an array of 164 black UV polypropylene panels. Each panel has approximately 104 tubes that water runs through. When the pool water circulates through the panels, it absorbs the heat from the sun the panels collect. The heated water then returns to the pool. Every two minutes, 1,323 gallons of water cycle through the solar collectors absorbing the heat.

The old method of heating the pool was a gas-powered boiler, which will still be used in the coldest months of December through February.

The goal of the $177,175 project is to reduce gas consumption and up-keep on the existing boiler, according to Pablo Cruz, of the 96th Civil Engineer Group.

The three-month construction project by Compass Solar Energy of Pensacola will be completed and turned over to Eglin within the week, according to Sean Gardner, of Compass Solar Energy.

"This is the largest solar collector we've ever installed," he said.

The self-sustaining system will maintain the pool temperature of 75 to 80 degrees in cooler months and 85 to 95 degrees in warmer months from March to December and can be adjusted by raising or lowering a thermostat-style knob, according to Cruz. The panels will be drained during the cold months to prevent freezing.  The structure supporting the panels can also withstand 140 mile-per-hour winds of three second gusts.

The solar heating system is projected to save the base $24,281 per year and is expected to pay for itself in approximately seven years.