Before you buy and install a solar pool heating system, you first need to consider your site's solar resource. The efficiency and design of a solar pool heater depends on how much of the sun's energy reaches your building site.

Solar pool heating systems use both direct and diffuse solar radiation. Therefore, even if you don't live in a climate that's warm and sunny most of the time—like the southwestern United States—your site still might have an adequate solar resource. Basically, if your building site has unshaded areas and generally faces south, it's a good candidate for a solar pool heating system.