Solar-Breeze - Robotic Solar Pool Skimmer

A few years ago, the Riley family was gathered by the pool, talking science in general and physics in particular.  Braden and Kristin were 9 and 10 at the time when they asked, “Why do people heat a pool from the top when heat rises?”  Great question!

Sun warms the surface of the water but that heat is easily lost to the air.  Instead of recirculating the warm water from the top 12 inches of the pool, there had to be a way of taking that warm water down to the bottom.  They invented a simple device called the Heat Snorkel.

With this system, the warmed water is pulled through the filter and reintroduced towards the bottom of the pool.  As it rises, it circulates and warms the pool.

The year 2011 will go down in history as a very difficult one from the standpoint of the global economy, but it will also stand out for the incredible explosion of interest in Solar.  More homes and businesses than ever are using solar energy as a source for electrical power. We all see the need to use more renewable energy.  Solar fits the bill for most of the planet.

Solar gadgets and devices have proliferated.  Some are just for fun.  Others fill a real need.  The Solar-Breeze solar robotic pool skimmer fits into the "need" category.  Even if current Solar-Breeze owners only reduced their pool pump runtimes by half last year,  the carbon equivalent of many hundreds of SUV's have been taken off the road.  The staff at Solar Pool Technologies thanks everyone who made this possible.

As we ring in a New Year, we look forward to connecting with more pool owners around the world and helping them to save time, money and energy. 

I had the chance, recently, to tour the largest photovoltaic rooftop installation in Arizona.  I jumped at the chance and climbed the ladder.  The installation is on the roof of the Cowley Co. Warehouse at 27^th Ave & Buckeye, not far from the State Capital building.

Our guides were Tom Lepley of Phasor Energy Company Inc. and Karl Schmitt, General Manager of Empire Renewable Energy, LLC.   Empire put the project together.  Tom was the lead engineer.

The scale of this project takes your breath away. 7,872 crystalline silicon modules (solar panels) cover 28,000 square feet of rooftop.  The array is held on the roof by its own weight and some ballast around the periphery.  There is no racking attaching it to the roof itself.  The wiring and conduit appear like leashes to hold it down but their only function is to take that harvest of solar energy  down to the invertor room where it can be changed into useable AC power.

A revolutionary approach to pool cleaning is now available which works on the premise that it is cheaper to clean the pool from the surface with free solar energy than from the bottom with expensive electricity.

Messy pools start with debris;  leaves, twigs, flowers, grass cuttings, dust, pollens, seeds, pet hair, and garbage being blown into the pool.  It mostly floats on the surface for a couple of hours before becoming water-logged and sinking to the bottom where it decomposes.  The bacteria  brought into the pool by the debris interacts with the organic material, sunlight and water to produce algae growth.

Removing the debris from the surface before it sinks makes all kinds of sense and cents.

I used to think — “Someone should do something about that.”  Then I realized that I am someone.

When it comes to your swimming pool, there are greener options.  An average pool which is open year-round consumes enough electricity to create the same carbon footprint as an SUV.  Solar Pool Technologies has the mission of introducing inventions to remove the swimming pool from the electrical grid.

Solar energy can be used to clean, heat and sanitize your pool.

If you had been thinking about ordering a Solar-Breeze robotic pool skimmer to clean your pool — now is the perfect time.

The explosion of interest and orders in May and June created a backlog and some customers were waiting as long as four weeks to receive their Solar-Breeze.  

Solar Pool Technologies has taken steps  to streamline our production process and speed up the time from the placing of an order to the day it arrives at your home.  We have also incorporated some changes to improve performance and reliability of the Solar-Breeze -- taking a great product and making it better. 

Click here to place your order.