Amount of solar panels needed to cover your energy consumption
The amount of heating in the pool is directly proportional to the number of solar panels. If you feel that the water isn't heating up fast enough, you can use extra solar panels for optimal coverage. For total usage of solar energy, the square footage of the panel grid should be equal to at least 50 percent of the pool's surface area. This, of course, may vary depending on the efficiency of your solar panels. For example, if you would use solar panels that NASA uses with their satellites, you would only need them to cover 10 percent of the total pool area. 50% is the general norm.
For optimal heating results follow the instructions on the manual that came along with your solar collector system. It is important to follow them to be sure that the system is large enough to increase the temperature of the water of your swimming pool by 10 to 15 degrees. If during colder periods the water is not warm enough for you and your family, you can always add some extra panels.