How Can VELUX Commercial Skylights Improve Industrial Spaces?

Skylights are not new to warehouses and other industrial buildings, but their history in these spaces has long been considered "nice to have, not need to have." But that's changing.

As the evidence for natural light's benefits in industrial spaces becomes clearer—both in human factors, such as well-being and workplace efficiency, and in energy performance—skylights have become more popular in commercial designs than ever.

Why should I install skylights in industrial spaces?

In commercial architecture, industrial buildings are inherently high-risk. These buildings often house heavy machinery, fast-paced production lines, and long working hours, so safety is a key concern throughout design, construction, and implementation. That means proper light levels are essential to protect workers and businesses from financial repercussions and liabilities.

With limited natural light, workers are less alert and productive, which can harm worker health and production. Using natural light through skylights, however, can help reduce eye strain and fatigue and lower the rising energy costs of lighting large spaces.

Commercial Skylights & Energy Efficiency

Artificial lighting is one of the largest sources of energy consumption in commercial and industrial spaces, accounting for nearly 40% of a building's energy expenditure. But with highly visible light-transmittance skylights, buildings can become less dependent on artificial lighting. With natural light from above, electric lights can be turned off 70 to 80% of the time. Proper daylighting has been shown to recoup the cost of skylights in fewer than two years. Along with reduced electric lighting, these savings can provide long-term energy conservation and lower overall energy costs.

Skylights can also improve energy efficiency and reduce costs when paired with advanced glazing that delivers low U-values, reduces thermal transmittance, and helps stabilize building temperatures for better thermal performance.

Four Ways to Boost Energy Efficiency in Industrial Designs

1. Incorporate energy-efficient vertical windows, translucent wall systems, or skylights to provide natural daylight throughout a warehouse, reducing the need for artificial lighting.
2. Specify energy-efficient mechanical ventilation in skylights to use natural ventilation strategies to cool the building and reduce strain on HVAC systems.
3. Choose photovoltaic glass technology to generate power by harnessing abundant natural daylight.
4. Add shades to skylights to provide daylight and heat control for year-round indoor comfort.

Daylight Benefits for Industrial Spaces

Research continues to demonstrate the benefits of natural daylight in commercial and industrial buildings. A 2024 study published in Energy and Buildings examined how daylight harvesting in manufacturing facilities can improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. Beyond energy savings, a 2024 systematic review published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found promising evidence that greater exposure to natural daylight indoors can support occupant well-being and psychological restoration.

Similar research by Cornell University professor Dr. Alan Hedge found that natural light improved workers' health and wellness, citing a 51% drop in eyestrain, a 63% drop in headaches, and a 56% reduction in drowsiness.

To achieve these benefits and optimize efficiency, workspaces and loading docks should have an illuminance of 150-300 lux. Engineering and mechanical spaces should provide 300-750 lux.

Four Ways to Design with Daylight in Industrial Spaces

1. Use skylights as the primary lighting design, with electric lighting as a secondary source, to ensure workers get ample daylight exposure.
2. Plan skylight locations according to the warehouse configuration. Invest in daylighting solutions that cascade down and illuminate high-traffic areas and manufacturing equipment for added safety.
3. Use glazing technologies to improve energy efficiency and diffuse daylight to reduce glare, hot spots, and sharp shadows that can hinder visibility.
4. Consider incorporating skylight shades to control daylight levels and glare in workspaces.

Natural Ventilation Benefits for Industrial Spaces

Fresh air is essential for industrial building design and healthy working conditions. But larger commercial buildings, such as industrial warehouses, typically have more complex air-quality requirements. Therefore, ventilation rates are often determined by cooling needs rather than by the need for fresh air for building occupants.

Natural ventilation through skylights can be combined with mechanical ventilation systems to minimize the strain on heating and cooling systems. In industrial spaces with high ceilings, venting skylights and mechanical ventilation work together to create the stack effect, which quickly releases hot CO₂ emissions and draws in cooler, fresher air.

Four Ways to Increase Indoor Air Quality in Industrial Spaces

1. Incorporate venting skylights and indoor air monitoring systems to improve indoor air quality by regularly releasing built-up CO2 levels and manufacturing emissions.
2. Program venting skylights throughout the day to coincide with employee breaks, busy production or manufacturing times with higher emissions, or after hours for night cooling.
3. Give workers control over venting skylights with individual controls that provide on-demand air circulation for a happier, healthier workspace.
4. When possible, open façade windows and skylights to control humidity levels and release stale, unhealthy air.

Plan Daylighting for Industrial Spaces with VELUX Commercial

Effective daylighting in warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and other industrial buildings starts with more than selecting a skylight. Product type, glazing, skylight placement, ventilation, and daylight levels all play a role in creating a solution that supports the building's performance and the people working inside it.

VELUX Commercial offers design tools, technical resources, and project support to help architects and building professionals evaluate these considerations earlier in the design process. To discuss your project in more detail, contact our team directly here.

Evaluate Daylight Performance

Use the VELUX Daylight Visualizer, our professional lighting simulation tool, to simulate daylight conditions and better understand how skylight placement, building geometry, and other design decisions may affect daylight throughout the space.

Download VELUX Daylight Visualizer

Determine Skylight Coverage

Balancing daylight and energy performance is crucial in large industrial spaces. Our SkyCalc helps estimate skylight quantities and evaluate potential energy savings from daylighting in your project.

Try VELUX SkyCalc

Specify the Right Commercial Skylight Solution

VELUX Commercial offers daylighting solutions for a range of industrial applications, along with product data, specifications, technical documentation, and other resources to support projects from design through installation.

Explore commercial daylighting resources

Bring More Daylight Into Your Next Industrial Project

Whether you are designing a warehouse, manufacturing facility, distribution center, or another large industrial space, the right daylighting strategy can help create a brighter, more comfortable building while supporting energy-performance goals.

Explore the Daylighting in Industrial Applications eBook online for additional design considerations, strategies, and inspiration for incorporating daylight into your next industrial building project.