Clean energy is taking over conventional power sources and for good reason. Thus, new green products like solar pool pumps are becoming increasingly popular. If you are planning to install one, you should first determine the requirement as per your needs viz how many solar panels to run a pool pump. To get all such queries answered, go through this article.
How does a Solar Pool Pump Work?
First of all, do solar pool pumps work? They work in the same way as the regular, grid-connected pool pump does. A key distinction is that they use solar energy instead of regular electricity to circulate and filter the water in your pool. Solar pool pumps are equally efficient as traditional pool pumps, providing many of the same features and options. But they do not consume electricity and do not increase your electricity bill.
But you cannot simply connect a few solar panels to your existing pool pump. You should purchase a pool pump that operates on direct current (DC). Several factors come into play when choosing the best solar pool pump for your pool:
1. Type of Pool: Pumps for in-ground and above-ground pools are the same, but in-ground pools typically require stronger pumps to move water up and out of the pool.
2. Pump Size: It is determined by the size of your pool in liters, the speed of water circulation, and the pump’s ability to handle resistance. You can usually find a helpful guide or checklist from the manufacturer to help you choose the best solar pool pump for your pool.
Here are some benefits of solar pool pumps.
1. Off-grid: Your pool pump is not grid connected so you will not ever pay for power to control it.
2. No Permission Required: Because they are not connected to the grid, the solar panels connected to your pool pump do not require approval from the local energy grid. Moreover, the amount of grid-tied solar panels you can set up is not restricted by the number of those panels.
3. Options for Mounting: Solar panels for your pool pump do not need to take up valuable roof space because they can be mounted anywhere. If you have the space, you can install the system on the ground or on a structure like your carport, shed, or cabana.
How Many Solar Panels to Run a Pool Pump?
Now you are well-equipped with how does a solar pool pump work. So, have a look at how many solar panels are required to run a pool pump. It depends on the following factors.
1. Energy Needed for the Pool: This will be determined by the type and size of the pool. For example, a variable-speed, eco-friendly pool pump will require a different-sized solar panel when compared to a high-powered, fixed-speed pump.
2. Sunlight Hours in your Area: The amount of sunlight your area typically receives is a crucial factor that must be taken into account. If an area receives more sunlight, it will have more electricity output and it will require fewer solar panels to generate the same amount of energy.
3. Peak Sun Hours: Lastly, it is also important to consider the peak sun hours for your area. The amount of sunlight in your area may vary throughout the day, even if you receive 6 hours of sunshine.
These are some factors from which you can determine the number and size of your solar panels for pool pumps. Read further to know how exactly you can calculate the number of solar panels for the same.
Number and Size of Solar Panels to Run a Pool Pump

For this, you are first required to calculate the energy consumption of your pool pump.
To calculate the power consumed by your pump daily, you are required to:
- Figure out the wattage of your pool pump
- Then calculate the number of hours for which you need to run the pool pump every day.
- Then multiply the wattage by the number of run hours per day.
1. Figure out the Wattage of the Pump
The energy consumption of the pool pump is measured in HP or horsepower, which equals 745.7 Watts per hour. So, this means that if you have a 1 HP pool pump, it will use 745.7 Watts for every working hour.
2. Calculate the Number of Working Hours
Then you need to calculate the number of hours your pool pump runs each day to keep your pool clean and circulate the water present in it. There are two things that determine how long will the pump take to filter your pool.
a) Turnover Rate {how many gallons of water your pump pushes every hour (GPH)}: As a rule of thumb, around 52 gallons of water per minute (GPM) will be pushed around by the pump. This gives a total of 3120 gallons per hour (GPH).
b) Volume of the Pool: Now you need to calculate the volume of your pool in gallons. You can follow this simple formula.
Pool Volume = Pool Width ×— Pool Length ×— Pool Depth ×— 7.5
If your pool has different depths, you can calculate the average depth by adding the biggest and smallest depths and then dividing the result by 2.
And if your pool is circular, then you can easily use the equation mentioned below.
Circular Pool Volume = 3.14×— Radius² ×— Pool Depth ×— 7.5
Once you have calculated both the pool volume and the turnover rate, all you need to do is divide them both to achieve the expected turnover time. The formula to do so is mentioned below.
Run Hours = Pool Volume in Gallons/Turnover Rate
Now finally, you can calculate your pool pump daily energy consumption with the formula mentioned here.
Daily Energy Consumption = Pump Wattage ×— Run Hours
3. Solar Panel Output
Now once you are sorted with the pool pump, you need to calculate the amount of energy a solar panel produces in your area. This depends upon many factors like the efficiency of the panel, wattage of the solar panel, number of hours of direct sunlight your panels get, the intensity of the sunbeam, shading, and roof slope.
Multiply your solar panel wattage by the number of direct sunlight hours you get each day to determine how much power your solar panels produce. For instance, assume that you have a 200 Watt solar panel and your location gets around 5 hours of sunlight/day.
So, 200 Watt ×— 5 Hours = 1000 Watt/per Day
This makes every 200 watt panel produce 1kW per day.
4. Number of Solar Panels Required
Now, at last, how many solar panels to run a pool pump? Calculate the number of solar panels needed to power the pool pump. At this stage, you have all the information you need to calculate the same. Just follow the simple equation below.
Number of Panels = Daily Pump Energy Usage/ Daily Solar Panel Energy Production
With this, you will get a number of solar panels for powering the pool pump. Read further to know – how many solar panels do I need to run a 1HP pool pump.
So, for 1 HP pool pump working for 8 hours daily(assumption), daily energy consumption = 745.7 ×— 8 = 5965.6 W.
Therefore, Number of Panels (200 watts) = 5965.6 / 1000 ≈ 6 solar panels.
Note: This is an approximate value. Here efficiency and age of the solar panels and pumps are not considered.
Also Read: How Many Tesla Powerwalls Do I Need For My Home?
How Many Solar Panels do I Need to Run a 1Hp Pool Pump?

After knowing how many solar panels to run a pool pump, let us have a look at the number of solar panels needed for 1HP pool pump, considering some extra parameters. So, the number of solar panels required for a 1 HP motor is influenced by the following factors.
- Phase type
- Solar panel wattage
- Pump age
Usually, twelve 100W solar panels are used in a new 1 HP, three-phase pump, for a total of 1200W.
You could use 300W solar panels, which would require fewer overall panels but roughly the same amount of square footage. However, assuming the pump is single phase, expect to utilize more boards since three-phase is more productive compared to single phase. If the pump is over 10–15 years old, it will require more panels because older pumps consume more power during startup and become less efficient as time passes. Read further to know do you run a pool pump with a solar cover on or not.
Also See: How Many Solar Panels and Batteries to Power a House
Do You Run Pool Pump with Solar Cover On?
Yes, you can safely use both the pool pump and the solar cover at the same time. The presence of a pool cover does not affect the circulation of water by the pool pump. In fact, it reduces the number of hours the pump must run and thus increases its lifespan. So, using it is a good option to consider.
Purpose
To put it simply, the solar blanket and pool pump serve distinct purposes.
- The pool pump has been intended to flow water around your pool. The skimmer basket and filter in your pool are catching debris as the pump circulates the water.
- On the other hand, one of the main purposes of the pool cover is to keep debris from falling into the pool.
Your pool will remain much cleaner because it will prevent grass clippings, leaves, and bird droppings from entering. As a result, the amount of time spent cleaning your pool with your pool pump will be significantly reduced.
Time Period
Using a pool cover regularly can reduce pool pump running time to 2-4 hours/day. If temperatures in your area go below freezing, run your pool pump for 8 to 10 hours per day. This fact remains valid, even when using a pool cover. This is something that is suggested to avoid freezing your pool pipes in the winter.
Also See: Do Solar Panels Increase Home Value in Colorado?
Will a 100 Watt Solar Panel Run a Pool Pump?

No, a pool pump cannot be directly powered by a 100-watt solar panel. However, you can charge a battery with the solar panel to power the pool pump. In full sunlight, a 100-watt solar panel typically generates approximately 124 amp-hours of electricity per day, which is around 430 watt-hours. This is sufficient to keep the battery fully charged.
To run a pool pump, you would need multiple solar panels and a battery bank because it typically consumes between 1200 and 1800 watts of power. Additionally, you should think about purchasing an off-grid solar system for pool pumps that includes an inverter, solar charge controller, and deep-cycle batteries.
With this article, you know how many solar panels are required to run a pool pump. It also explains the working mechanism of solar pool pumps and the number of panels required for a 1 HP motor. For more information on solar power, keep reading.
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