Hi All,
While we're undergoing some pretty heavy pool-deck renovations, we'll be upgrading the pipes of our 20,000 gallon inground concrete pool to 2" PVC (up from 1 1/4"!). We're also planning to add solar, and have started researching all the options/ suppliers.
We have two "burning" questions at this point:

1) Are there solar panels that have 2" headers, rather than 1 1/2"? It would seem that the additional flow would make a big difference, but maybe we're oversimplifying? If it helps, the location of the panels would be installed just 8-12 ft above the pool pump, which is a 3/4 HP Hayward (may need upgrade to 1 HP, I believe), and the total run of the heater circuit (from filter to returns) is about 40 ft.

2) Has anyone tried to increase the solar heating efficiency by enclosing the panels, even partially, in glass? I've seen solar rail systems that seem pretty simple (I'm relatively handy) to adapt to an enclosure. I'm also thinking this would help reduce or eliminate wind factors, since the wind off the Bay at night could take a lot of heat away before the water returns to the pool.

Hoping to figure this piece out before the plumbing gets too far underway, b/c the contractor spec'd 1 1/2" pressure-side pipes (after 2" vacuum side) unless we deem something else is necessary.