Hi J,
They are not free...Attic solar pool heating is extremely, almost insanely expensive...and if there's any mistake in the protection and a pipe ruptures, it's a mess.
I don't know much about water-cooling the condenser other than such coolers are made. Of course, if the pool gets TOO warm you cannot shut it off.
Heat pumps are surprisingly efficient. They got a bad rap in the 80's because they were being used wrong: In climates where temps got into the 20's and the heat pump switched over to resistance heating. But when it's in the 70's, 80's and 90's outside, heat pumps can be very economical--much better than gas.
Many of us have solar heat. I do and so do my fellow mod, Poconos and Watermom (not sure if aylad or PoolDoc have them--don't quite think so.)
Carl
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