Any pool owner knows that on a hot summer day, the water of your pool can see a decent increase in temperature. This increase in temperature can help you to save time, as you don’t have to wait for all that water to heat up before swimming, and it can certainly save you money on energy costs. Just as more and more homeowner are installing solar panels for energy efficiency, this has also become an area of interest for homeowners who are installing pools in their backyard and want to save money. Efficiently heating your pool this season with the heat of the sun is entirely possible. Take a look at some of the ways you can cut back on your heating costs. Cut back on the use of your running water features – As aesthetically appealing as your vanishing edge pool or waterfall may be, it doesn’t help when it comes to heating your pool. In fact, these running water features can actually work against you when it comes to solar heating, as they increase the area the sun has to warm and increase the likelihood of evaporation. The best way to heat your pool with solar energy is by turning these features off when you are not actively enjoying them. Not only will this help your pool water to heat up faster from the natural heat of the sun, but it will help you to reduce evaporation of your pool water. Plus, if you aren’t home to enjoy your running water features, they don’t really need to be on. Get a quality pool cover – While most pool owners may think that a pool cover is designed primarily to protect their pool through the off season, you can make the most of it in swim season too. By One smart idea for those looking to maximize the potential of the sun is by using a liquid pool cover or a liquid solar fish.  A liquid pool cover will help to retain heat in your pool without the use of a physical pool cover. Find a way to create protection from the wind – The wind can increase the evaporation of heat from your pool, causing it to cool down. The more wind that your pool is exposed to, the faster this evaporation process will occur, so the trick to reduce this is to make a wind shield. A wind shield can be created by fencing in an area around your pool, or even by strategically placing bushes up around your yard, which can help to block the wind from directly reaching your pool and allow the sun to more efficiently warm it. Using solar heat to warm the waters of your pool can certainly be possible for pool owners that are willing to go the extra mile and create the ideal conditions for their pool water. Though it might seem like a little more work, the cost savings will be more than worth it.