Melissa;

Sounds like an interesting project! On hillsides dropin pools are not ideal. When installing on a hillside property the installation of retaining walls and or engineered concrete walls is normally advised. Gunite pools are much stronger with more rebar and more tensile strength than dropin pools. This combination of walls and gunite pool provides the strength needed to handle the asymetric pressure put on the pool installed properly into a hillside. For you investment in money you are better off spending more money to have it installed correctly and get a return on your investment than to spend money on a pool that will crack and leak within the first couple of years due to the ground pressure. We strongly advise you to consult with a soil engineer and a qualified landscape design build company. They can provide you with infromation to make your investment a lasting one.

I have no particular expertise for your question. But my gut knowledge of physics and general landscape engineering goes along with the advice given above by TLC Gardens.