June 21 marks this year's Summer Solstice, which means the first official days of summer are quickly approaching.

For many of us, though, the first "official" day of summer is marked not by the position of the sun in the sky but by that first trip to the swimming pool. However you measure the changing of the seasons, there's an important connection between all that sunshine and that warm, inviting pool: Did you know that for more than 20 years now the City of Ann Arbor has heated its three outdoor swimming pools with solar energy?

Solar collectors at Veterans, Buhr, and Fuller Parks help take the edge off that first step into the water and keep swimmers comfortable for the duration of their dip. Whether you go to diligently swim laps, lazily tread water, or to escape the oppressive heat of your living room, by heading to one of the city's solar pools you can get some sun—in more ways than one!

The heating systems are simple: pool water is pumped up to solar panels located on overhead structures where it is warmed while in contact with the solar collectors, before being sent back to the pool. Because it's easy to miss the solar collectors at work, Fuller Park pool features the "Sun Dragon," an artistic installation that supplies a warm solar shower from the mouth of this friendly, colorful creature.

Using solar to heat the pools makes environmental and economic sense. The solar hot water systems have reduced the pools' peak natural gas demands during the summer swimming months, resulting in lower municipal energy bills. Energy data from the pools show that the solar water heating systems save about $4,500 a year in natural gas costs at each facility. Since solar energy is not always available, the solar hot water heating systems work in tandem with natural gas-fired boilers.

And while many people think of Michigan as a cloudy state without a lot of sunshine, we are actually sunnier than Germany, the world's leader in solar energy deployment. In fact, here in Michigan, domestic solar water heating is one of the most cost-effective ways to incorporate renewable energy into your life, and current financial incentives are making it even more affordable. A new Michigan state rebate program alone will cover up to $2,500 of the cost of a new solar water heating systems (which typically run from $6,000 to $10,000). Together with a 30% federal tax credit, solar makes dollars, sense, and hot water.

You can learn more about solar heating and solar energy at the City's website. And the best way to learn about the solar pools in town is of course to get out and enjoy them in person!

Details about Ann Arbor's solar pools, including hours of operation: Veterans Pool Buhr Pool Fuller Pool

Andrew Brix is the City of Ann Arbor's Energy Programs Manager and contributes to AnnArbor.com as part of the Your World series. He can be reached at energy@a2gov.org. Learn more about local energy efforts at www.a2gov.org/energy.

Your World provides local environmental information to our community. Contributing partners include: Washtenaw County's Environmental Health Division; the nonprofit Recycle Ann Arbor; the City of Ann Arbor's Public Services Area, Natural Area Preservation, Systems Planning programs for Energy, Environmental Coordination, Solid Waste, Transportation, and Water Resources.