Can I use Solar Panels to Run my Hot Tub?

Can solar panels heat my hot tub? Is there such a thing as a solar powered hot tub? Can I take my hot tub off grid?
With the increase in hot tub sales in the UK these are just some of the questions we are asked weekly. The simple answer is no, not all-year-round.
However, this blog post will explain why a solar powered hot tub would not work, and alternatives to help decrease the cost of keeping your hot tub running.

How much electricity does my hot tub use?

The average hot tub draws around 5.5kWh every hour whilst being used. When not in use, a hot tub can consume an average of 7kWh of electricity every day, which means you could be paying around £2.38 every day, based on the average unit price (as of February 2023) which is £0.34 per kWh.

Can I use solar panels to run my hot tub?

As mentioned at the start of this post, the simple answer is no, not all-year-round. As an example, to run your hot tub all year round with one to two uses a day you would require at least 142 solar panels at a cost of roughly £28,500.
An off-grid solar system suitable for the average 3-bedoom house would have between eight to ten solar panels which would generate around 4000 watts of solar power. A solar system of this size would cost around £10,000.

We have attached a graph below which shows the average daily per figures month of:
• how much power is required to keep your hot tub heated and filtered throughout the day and night (blue),
• the amount solar energy based on eight to ten solar panels would generate on average* (yellow)
• and how much shortfall in power you would have between the two (red).
*Based on London solar irradiance figures

As you can see having eight to ten solar panels installed to your roof would generate enough electricity to keep your hot tub heated and filtered during April to September, however whilst you could save money in the winter months, you would still need to rely on a second source of power to generate the electricity to cover the shortfall.

Are there any better options?

On-Grid System

Running your hot tub on an on-grid system would allow you to save money by using solar energy where available, and then topping up the system through the grid when no solar energy is available. The average on-grid system could save you on average £1,400 a year, based on our figures, and as the system is installed to your house any electricity generated by solar could be used within your house too.

Read more about our On-Grid Systems below:
https://www.sunstore.co.uk/solar-power/on-grid-solar-systems/

Home Battery Storage System

A home battery storage system acts like a large power bank for your house. It stores electricity from the grid and then you can use this electricity at a different time. The best way to take advantage of this type of system would be to register for a flexible tariff (sometimes called Economy 7) which measures your electricity usage based on different prices per kilowatt: an on-peak rate and a much cheaper off-peak one. You then store the electricity during these off-peak hours whilst the cost is lower and then use the stored electricity during on-peak hours where the cost is much higher.
This means you could store electricity overnight from the cheaper off-peak rates and then use this electricity for your hot tub during the on-peak times.

To understand more about Home Battery Storage Systems, take a read of our previous blog post below or view our Lithium Battery Storage System:

https://www.sunstore.co.uk/2023/02/08/saving-money-with-home-battery-storage/

On-Grid Lithium Battery Storage System