Eco-friendly green building materials have been growing in popularity recently. There are three reasons for this growth across the construction industry.
To be considered eco-friendly and green, the building materials must meet a few criteria. Not only does the building material need to reduce energy use and improve living for the occupants, but it must be sustainable, recycled, reclaimed, or renewable. This includes building materials such as bamboo, hempcrete, reclaimed wood, rammed earth, living walls, skylights, and roof windows.
1. Strong Daylighting Strategy – Skylights and Sun Tunnel skylights are designed to harness natural daylight, dispersing it to spaces below. On a sunny day, a 2’x4’ skylight produces more than 37K lumens, which is the equivalent of 20+ 100-watt light bulbs. A Sun Tunnel produces 4K lumens on a similar day. Even on a cloudy day, a skylight can produce 5K-10K lumens, and a Sun Tunnel produces 1K lumens, which is as much light as a 60-watt bulb. All of this natural light accomplishes two things for homeowners: It reduces the monthly bill, and natural daylight boosts overall health and mood.
2. Energy-Efficient Passive Design – This is an architectural approach that uses the site, orientation, and materials of a home to regulate temperature, light, and air flow. Skylights with shades have been shown to be an effective green building feature when it comes to passive design. They can help to heat a home in the winter and retain heat through the night while closed. Lowering the shades in the summer during the hottest part of the day also reduces heat gain. And a venting skylight can release any hot air trapped in a home with the push of a button. VELUX even offers VELUX ACTIVE, a smart home device that monitors indoor temperature and air quality and will open the skylights and shades automatically to maintain the optimal indoor environment. Not only can this boost overall health and wellness, but it can lower energy costs significantly.
3. Made with Energy Efficient and Recycled Materials – All VELUX skylights feature Low-E glass. This glass is covered in a thin metal coating designed to reflect the sun’s infrared and ultraviolet light. This feature reduces solar heat gain and significantly reduces furniture fading. Every skylight carries an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). It details the skylight’s environmental impact over its entire life cycle and shows that skylights are made primarily from glass, composite materials, and 50% recycled aluminum.
4. Improve Indoor Air Quality – At the core of every eco-friendly green design are the building occupants. Studies have shown that venting skylights have a profoundly positive impact on indoor air quality. Once open, and in conjunction with a vertical window, a skylight can remove harmful indoor air pollutants and refresh a room in as little as twenty minutes twice a day. According to The Indoor Environment Handbook, a reduction in indoor air pollutants creates a better quality of sleep while making people less susceptible to respiratory diseases. This better quality of sleep may also improve overall mood while reducing anxiety.
5. Long Product Life – Green building aims to use as little waste as possible. Not only are VELUX skylights and Sun Tunnel skylights partially made from recycled materials, but they are also engineered to last twenty years or more. This reduces replacement frequency and the associated packaging waste. We believe in the quality of our products so deeply that we offer an industry-leading 10-year product and installation warranty. We also offer a 20-year warranty on the gaskets and seals, and a 5-year warranty on all skylight shade motors and remotes.
Not every homeowner is certain which eco-friendly green building material is right for them. Our Design and Product Advisors are available for an online consultation. They will be happy to discuss daylighting options, including curb-mount skylights, deck-mount skylights, and roof windows.
For skylight or Sun Tunnel installation assistance, we have multiple videos to review. VELUX offers hands-on training in select areas. We have in-class training at our Pro Partner Academies and mobile installation vans for on-the-job workshops. Local VELUX reps can also be contacted with any questions.
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