La Isla water levels

Hi,

Just wondering how the water levels are at La Isla? Is the lake almost full as of yet or still quite down? The last time I was out there was early September 09.

Is it true the 2nd golf course and club house are due to start in early 2010?

Mark,

I was over the first week in November and the lake was quite full and was going up in level whist we were there. The island was very quiet during our short stay. I had a quick look on the roof and it will be a tight fit getting all the ac units in place. There is a common extraction system for all the apartments on the roof but the fan is presently not running. I was pleased that the apartment suffered no damage in the recent heavy rains and hope its the same for everyone else. We  have a problem with drains backing up in the bathroom and I am hoping polaris will be able to solve this. Anyone else had similar problems?  The solar panels should be a useful addition. As I understand it all the apartments on the island are now sold. We are happy with our appartment and its location. I suspect the resort will be very quiet through the winter but will hopefully become more established through 2010.

Regards

Jollyjack

JollyJack

I see you mention solar panels

Are you hanging out a line if you are I am hooked

If not can you please explain for the uneducated

Paul

Paul,

      I was refering to the solar panel water heaters, every apartment has one fitted on the roof . They are connected into the  hot water heating system.

Regards

Jollyjack

Sorry about that.

i am not fully familiar with the design of La Isla being in one of the Los Naranjos Gardens.

Seems a great idea though

cheers

paul

Hi all

From what I'm aware, all construction started by a certain date, 1st April 2008 I think, required solar panels as part of the planning conditions.

Hope this helps.

Don

That's right

El Mirador apartments will also have to have solar panels if they ever get built

Yes we looked at those Mirador plans too. The upstairs apartment had two solar panels sited up there one for the ground floor apartment and 1 for the upstairs two bed. They lost at least a third of the roof terrace though as the panels are behind a wall about three tiles beyond the top of the stairs. Unfortunately that made them less atractive to us but the running costs should be cheaper- if they are ever built. Apparently it was a requirement of the Alhama Council that a certain percentage of the properties to be built on Condado had solar panels this was an effort to improve the 'green' status of the resort.

Think the lake around the Isla is certainly a great feature but from the plan we saw we thought the swimming pools would be infinity pools and appear to run into the lake- recent pics dont seem to show them like that. I imagine the views are excellent too.

As a owner on Jardines, I was realy surprised that no apartments had solar panels, I would like in the future to fit panels on our roof terrace. Not to concerned about water heating thinking more of PV, for generating electric, we are only using ours as a holiday home, so while we are not there would be generating electric, and getting paid for it.

Good Point Andy,

I would consider that too.

Also I would like consideration given to a couple of panels to be installed per garden to heat the pools as it is a waste for 5 months of the year to keep them cleaned and pumps running etc (I know there are some who will brave it at certain times). I am lead to believe it is a decision which needs to be taken at a high level withing the 'Community Hierachy' but I am sure each Garden should be given the choice to fund it themselves.

Just a thought

Paul

Hi Paul, thats a really good point as well, the pools are now just sitting there looking pretty, so all the pumps running for months on end are wasted, only the odd looney would be brave enough to go in

This heated pool idea has come up before, I 've seen it on early posts and it's a good idea. Do you think setting it up would be expensive with equipment, and a designated protected area for the solar panels and regular maintenance? The smaller panels are up on posts aren't they. It could be PW wont think they are an attractive prospect for each Jardin but I think people would get used to them- even if it had to be ground based panels they'd just be in a small fenced off area so not too ugly. I wonder how many each pool would need?

It has to be worth invstigation, how can we get it on the agenda to either progress it or kill it?.

I think there is more to this than initially thought- certainly for each pool to be heated. I'd imagined a single panel or a couple of panels on poles however:-

'As a guide for calculation purposes, the area of solar panels should equate to 50% of the pool surface area, more if the pool is in an especially exposed location. They should be installed in a sunny position facing south inclined at 15° -30° to the horizontal. In a typical system the solar panels are linked into the filtration circuit, making use of the filter pump. Filtered water passes through the panels ahead of any heater, allowing free solar energy to be used first with back up heating only cutting in when a further boost is needed.'

Therefore the size of the area for panels would be large in each Jardin and they are sited on robotic moveable staging- following the sun

A further article by the ' Independent' said they weren't as economic for heating of water as previously thought- takes years to break even on the cost of fitting and regular maintenance.

Plus a small panel for a hot tub would need to be on 12 hours before the water would achieve an appropriate heat so multiplying that for a swimming pool would need careful timing etc. There are also regulations around the fitting and maintenance that I was unaware of and permission has to be given- probably by Alhama Council as they are a fixture not in the original plans.

However, if someone has more positive info I'd be interested to read it as I think heating a few pools- either end and centrally in the Jardins might have to be a way forward rather than all pools.

Cheers for that.

I would still want to consider it on a garden by garden basis.

I would suggest the panels could be fixed facing south as I would think the pones on La Isla are rather than 'mobile'.

I am sure people would be prepared to lose either some garden or some of the pool enclosure to site the panels in an enclosure.

It is just running filtration pumps etc and the guys doing the cleaning and maintenance for Nov to April (50% of the year) when most will not go near the pool appears a waste.

The other option is domed pool cover which will heat the pool and also retain the heat.

I am not giving up lightly on this one!!

Paul

Moving this discussion onto a new thead as I remember that various people had other ideas on the early threads on this forum but they might not be reading this thread.