Solar panels on the ground?

[dhale63]

Does anyone have any experience just placing the solar panels on the ground? Can you just strap them down for the swim season and then roll them up and store them for the winter? We have a 30' X 52" AG vinyl pool.

[CarlD]

If they are on the ground you don't need to strap them down. The water will hold them down nicely.

Normally, when you lay something on the grass for the summer, you expect it to get really disgusting underneath--the grass dies and there are worms and grubs under there. But with a solar panel on the ground this will not happen.

The grass will die, but it will be baked. It won't be soggy and full of bugs, but will be dry and hot. When you roll up the panels it won't be disgusting.

But there's another interesting twist to panels on the ground. They will transfer a portion of their heat to the earth, heat that you would think is lost. But it's not! That heat will pour back into the panel after the sun has passed and, for a couple of hours, will CONTINUE to add heat to your pool.

Remember: As long as the water from the panels is warmer than the pool, even by 1 degree, it's still working.

[dhale63]

Thanks, Carl! It sounds like from your reply that it's not a bad way to go. Is it relatively easy to roll them up for the winter?

[Karen_in_TN]

We did ours on the ground last year and they worked fine. We didn't strap them down at all. We put black plastic down under them so we wouldn't have to worry about damaging the panels weedeating around them. We now have them on simple tables that are removed after the water heats up and we no longer need them until fall.

Interesting about the heat transfer CarlD mentioned. Sorta makes me want to put mine back on the ground.

[CarlD]

If they are really warm they are quite easy to roll up. But they are A LOT easier to roll up with 2 people.

When you unroll them you need to let them get some sun or they won't stay flat.

[halds]

How well do these solar panels hold up to hail or high winds?


Hal

[NWMNMom]

We had hail a number of times with no damage. High wind issues are specific to how they are mounted and where. On the ground, then its just whether the wind can catch them from underneath. Mounted up on something is different. They ARE pretty durable though.