We conceived and designed the most innovative natural-circulation solar system that combines the solar collector and storage tank in a single product. EGO and EGO PRIME are solar panels with integrated storage and a compact ALL-IN-ONE design: everything in one unit, for everyone.
As we have already explained, a natural-circulation solar thermal system is one option for making your home more efficient and sustainable. It uses solar energy to provide domestic hot water without additional energy costs.
The solar thermal panel is the key component: it captures the sun’s rays and turns them into heat to warm domestic water. In conventional natural-circulation systems, fluid movement depends on the density difference between hot and cold fluid. As the fluid warms, it expands, becomes less dense and rises to the top of the collector, where the tank is located.
Pleion has developed an innovative alternative that combines the collector and storage tank in one product: our flagship EGO solar panel with integrated storage. Unlike a conventional natural-circulation system, EGO has no separate storage tank: the collector tubes themselves store the water. This makes EGO an ALL-IN-ONE natural-circulation solar thermal system.
The integrated storage capacity can also be increased with SOLARBANK, an optional tube that can be added to EGO collectors to provide extra capacity.
- EGO and EGO PRIME: the most innovative natural-circulation solar thermal system
- LEXAN sheet
- Lightweight and easy to install
- Functional design
- Safe and high-performing
- Description of the EGO and EGO PRIME system
- Solar collector
- Storage system
- How EGO and EGO PRIME work
- Where to install EGO and EGO PRIME
- EGO SOLAR BANK: hot water around the clock
- EGO and EGO PRIME: sizes and colours for comfort and style
EGO and EGO PRIME: the most innovative natural-circulation solar thermal system
EGO and EGO PRIME differ only in the materials used for the housing and frame. Their technology and performance are the same.
Both are compact, integrated ALL-IN-ONE natural-circulation solar thermal systems. Unlike traditional systems, they have no external cylinder. Inside the housing, special steel tubes contain the water, in a quantity determined by the chosen size. The sun heats this water quickly and it is delivered directly to the installation. There is no separate heat-transfer fluid: the sun directly heats the domestic water inside the panel.
The absence of a bulky external tank, together with the materials chosen for every component, is what makes the system innovative.
LEXAN sheet
EGO replaces glass with LEXAN®, an innovative material used in many high-tech applications. EGO PRIME uses LEXAN® THERMOCLEAR™, made entirely in Italy. These materials reduce structural weight without compromising quality, while improving performance.
Both LEXAN® and LEXAN® THERMOCLEAR™ sheets are made of multiwall polycarbonate. Compared with traditional glass, they significantly reduce heat loss, eliminate condensation and increase resistance to weather and hail. The exclusive frame design also gives the system an appearance similar to a roof window.
Multiwall polycarbonate offers the following additional benefits:
- Impact resistance: withstands the elements and is 250 times more resistant than glass;
- Transparency: excellent transmission of solar radiation;
- Low weight: 80% lighter than glass. The EGO PRIME sheet also comes with a 10-year guarantee against yellowing;
- Efficiency: substantially reduced heat loss at night;
- Double UV protection.
Lightweight and easy to install
Conventional solar systems are very heavy and difficult to transport, even when empty. Thanks to innovative materials, EGO and EGO PRIME are 40% lighter. They are quicker and easier to install and simpler to handle: the 105-litre EGO weighs just 36 kg, while EGO PRIME weighs only 29 kg.
Functional design
EGO and EGO PRIME combine an attractive appearance with practicality. Their easily removable frame is a design feature suited to different architectural settings, while also enabling quick installation and straightforward maintenance.
The support brackets are lightweight and refined. Made from 100% recyclable material, they simplify assembly and optimise transport. BASIC brackets are supplied as standard, with DELIGHT available as an option.
Safe and high-performing
Some natural-circulation solar systems can experience problems such as poor corrosion resistance with very aggressive water or insufficient pressure resistance. EGO and EGO PRIME use efficient, robust hydraulics:
Domestic water storage: an innovative stainless-steel alloy provides greater corrosion resistance, allowing domestic water to be stored safely even when it is very aggressive.
End caps: made from a special plastic with a high glass-fibre content, the caps offer greater strength and can be fully recycled.
Description of the EGO and EGO PRIME system
Integrated-storage solar collectors use solar energy to produce domestic hot water. They operate below the boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure, in areas not subject to freezing. These collectors are not suitable for space heating, swimming pool heating or process water.
EGO and EGO PRIME mainly consist of two integrated assemblies: the solar collector and the storage system.
Solar collector
The collector’s load-bearing frame is aluminium. Its outer protective structure is lightweight and UV-resistant: heat-welded PVC for EGO and aluminium for EGO PRIME.
The transparent cover is a 10 mm multiwall polycarbonate sheet, with coextruded UV protection on both faces. Compared with conventional solar glass, this material:
- reduces the collector’s weight by 80%;
- limits heat loss during the night;
- provides excellent transmission of solar radiation;
- increases weather resistance.
The upper frame is made from heat-welded PVC for EGO and aluminium for EGO PRIME. It can be removed easily to access the storage tank. Lightweight and UV-resistant, its design suits different architectural settings.
The lower thermal insulation is a 30 mm polyurethane foam panel faced with aluminium sheets. The side insulation consists of 25 mm natural polyester fibre.
Storage system
The domestic water storage system consists of a series of high-quality stainless-steel cylinders, made from a special alloy resistant to high pressures and highly corrosive water.
The cylinders are closed at each end with special food-contact-safe, glass-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic caps, combining low weight and strength.
Small tubes connect the caps, allowing water to flow from one cylinder to the next and pass through all the cylinders in sequence.
How EGO and EGO PRIME work
In a solar panel with integrated storage, the storage vessel also acts as the absorber through direct heat exchange. Sunlight passes through the transparent cover and transfers heat directly to the domestic water held in special stainless-steel cylinders. The stored water, whose volume depends on the chosen size, is therefore heated quickly by the sun.
Water enters at the bottom of the system. It warms as it moves from the lower cylinders to the upper ones, then leaves through the highest cylinder to supply the installation and its outlets directly.
The special tank configuration keeps incoming cold water separate from outgoing hot water, reducing the mixing effects found in conventional natural-circulation solar systems. Circulation is provided by the pressure of the water supply, whether from the mains, a well or another source. When a downstream tap opens, hot water leaves the top of the collector and the same quantity of cold water enters at the bottom.
To optimise EGO and EGO PRIME performance, use hot water mainly during the afternoon and evening.
Where to install EGO and EGO PRIME
The integrated-storage solar collector can be installed on a flat or pitched roof, at ground level or on other structures, such as a slab, canopy or balcony.
Choose the installation location in advance, ensuring that it can withstand the weight and dynamic loads caused by variable conditions such as snow, strong winds, turbulence or winds associated with temperature inversions.
The collector’s transparent surface should face as close to south as possible. A slight deviation towards east or west can still provide satisfactory performance.
Choose a location with little or no shading throughout the day. Avoid nearby trees or buildings that could temporarily shade the system and reduce its output.
Correct operation requires an installation angle between 15° and 60°. On flat surfaces or flat roofs, support brackets provide a 45° installation angle and are available in two versions:
- BASIC SUPPORT: pair of galvanised sheet-steel brackets, supplied as standard;
- DELIGHT SUPPORT: pair of electropolished stainless-steel brackets, available on request.
Pleion designed EGO and EGO PRIME for a wide range of users: residential applications; locations that need hot water without electricity, such as rural areas or emergency situations; and commercial uses such as car washes, campsites and building sites.
EGO SOLAR BANK: hot water around the clock
EGO SOLAR BANK is an accessory for EGO and EGO PRIME solar collectors that provides a reserve of solar-heated domestic water, protecting it from night-time cooling more effectively than collectors without SOLAR BANK.
Its integration keeps the natural-circulation system efficient, with hot water available from the first morning sunshine and around the clock. The optional insulated tube can be fitted to any EGO or EGO PRIME model, including existing installations. SOLAR BANK’s single-tube hydraulics provide an additional 35 litres of hot water protected by high-density foam insulation.
Boost your EGO or EGO PRIME collector with EGO SOLAR BANK for readily available hot water.
EGO and EGO PRIME: sizes and colours for comfort and style
EGO and EGO PRIME offer 5 sizes, each designed to meet different needs for comfort and savings. Every size has an elegant, compact design suited to different roof and surface types: from the versatile 105-litre EGO 110, weighing just 36 kg, to the powerful 245-litre EGO 260 for greater demand. Choose the collector that suits you and your family.
| Model | Capacity | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| EGO 110 | 105 l | 36 kg |
| EGO 150 | 140 l | 43 kg |
| EGO 180 | 175 l | 50 kg |
| EGO 220 | 210 l | 57 kg |
| EGO 260 | 245 l | 64 kg |
| EGO PRIME 110 | 105 l | 29 kg |
| EGO PRIME 150 | 140 l | 36 kg |
| EGO PRIME 180 | 175 l | 43 kg |
| EGO PRIME 220 | 210 l | 50 kg |
| EGO PRIME 260 | 245 l | 58 kg |
EGO is available in 2 standard colours: MOON WHITE and TERRACOTTA RED. EGO PRIME comes in 3 standard colours: ALUMINIUM, WHITE and TERRACOTTA RED.
To personalise the collector and help it blend into its setting, 3 further optional colours are available on request only: NIGHT BLACK, SILVER and GREEN FOREST.
