Reasons to Incorporate Skylights into Green Building Design

What is Green Building Design?

The core mission of every green building design is to harmonize aesthetic appeal with environmental responsibility. The goal of every green building is to enhance a home’s connection to nature, improve occupant well-being, and reduce the home’s overall carbon footprint. There are also several economic, health, and environmental benefits to a green building design. 

When an architect begins designing a green home, several key factors must be taken into account: 

• Energy use

• Water use

• Indoor environment

• Impact on the surrounding natural environment 

This is all in an effort to achieve a result, the home, that does more good and causes less harm. If these factors meet the criteria as set out by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, then the home can be certified as a Green Building. While there aren’t LEED points for a single skylight, the amount of daylight and energy efficiency that results can earn a building 3 to 18 points toward a green certification.

Enhance Green Building Design with VELUX Skylights

Maximizing natural light is a cornerstone of green building design. It has been shown to reduce lighting and HVAC demand. But more importantly, when regularly exposed to natural light, people have shown improved sleep and reduced anxiety. This health outcome has led many to enjoy boosted focus and productivity. 

Skylights can let in two to three times the amount of natural light of a vertical window. VELUX skylights are engineered to be sustainable and reduce the impact on the planet. Many skylights illuminate the rooms below for twenty years or more, offering years and years of reliable natural light.  

Reason to Incorporate Skylights into a Green Building Design

1. Daylight Harvesting – The sun provides bright, clean energy every time it rises. When skylights are installed in a home, they are illuminated throughout the day, reducing the need for artificial lighting. While skylights are ideal for daylight harvesting, they might not work in small areas. VELUX Sun Tunnel® skylights are great for harvesting daylight and distributing it to smaller rooms in a home, such as a bathroom or hallway.
   
   

2. Passive Solar Heating – Another way that skylights reduce energy costs is by providing solar heat. In the winter and cooler months, skylights allow the sun’s warmth to enter a home, which in turn reduces the need to use the heating system. While the warmest areas are in direct sun, the heat can be felt throughout a room.
   
   

3. Natural ventilation – Fresh air is another feature of green building designs. Many people can become sick in their own home due to increased carbon dioxide, dust, volatile organic compounds, or other air-borne molecules that can’t be seen with the naked eye. Opening a venting skylight in conjunction with vertical windows creates a powerful stack effect. This draws the air inside of the home through the ceiling and refreshes it with air from outside. This effect also removes many of the harmful air-borne pollutants.
   
   

4. Integration of Biophilic Design – This design concept uses interior decorating and architecture to connect people with nature. Incorporating natural elements into a home has been shown to improve health and well-being. There is nothing more natural than daylight. Many designers may also add in natural materials like wood, stone, and living walls. All of these features are enhanced or maintained by daylight, creating a deeper connection with nature.

VELUX Makes it Easy to Add Skylights to Green Building Design

VELUX has created BIM files and Revit families for all of the skylights and Sun Tunnel skylights we offer.  These files are free to download. They can be found by clicking on the “Technical Resources” button on any skylight product page, or by going to our VELUX BIM Models, Drawings, & Specs page.

Some homeowners might want to learn more about VELUX venting skylights, curb-mounted skylights, roof windows, or Sun Tunnel skylights. For them, we have Design and Product Advisors who are happy to sit down and provide a virtual consultation.

For roofers, builders, and contractors in need of skylight installation assistance, VELUX has several options. There are skylight installation videos available on our website and YouTube channel. VELUX also offers in-person classroom at our Pro Partner Academy, or on-the-job training via our Mobile Training van. These services are only available in select areas.

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