SunCatcher made a big splash at the PSP Expo, winning first place for Best Green Product. Solar panels in the hot tub cover are warmed by the sun, then small fans bring the heat to the bottom of the cover where it radiates into the water.
The concept came from John Tandler, president of Aztech Energy. Tandler knew a friend who bought a house and had the hot tub removed because he didn’t want to incur the heating costs. This made Tandler wonder how many others were missing out on hot tub benefits because of energy costs.
As a veteran in the solar business, Tandler started thinking about how to use plastic solar collectors to heat the water. After over a year of development, he released SunCatcher. The design insulates the water and also heats it — something the firm says is not like any other product in the market.
“It weighs about 10 pounds and saves about 5 tons of greenhouse gas over its lifetime,” says Tandler.
Currently, the product is only on the market in Colorado. The firm is working with existing hot tub cover makers to offer it as an add-on.
