Sure -- it's quite easy. It will cost you absolutely zero to heat your pool... after you install solar.

Trust me, there is absolutely no other way to go (I know -- I spent $1K heating our pool for a month and I learned my lesson). I would *never* use gas heat, except for the spa (even there the solar will help -- our solar can get the spa up to the 90's and then it's only pennies to push it to 102 or so).

Actually understanding how your pool will heat has to do with surface area, the amount of sun it gets, whether it's sheltered from the wind, etc. All of these calculations will tell you how many solar panels you will need (once again -- you *will* want solar, and you will want to calculate the panels properly). There are many solar sites that will do this for you after you answer the questions.

No matter how you cut it, no matter where you live or how long a season you're looking for, solar will pay for itself (ROI) in five years or less. With energy costs the way they are, there is no excuse to go any other way.