The sunlight offers many benefits that are fundamentally critical in giving life. The sun’s rays have been proven to affect the serotonin levels in our brain, heal certain skin conditions, and even contribute to cancer prevention. With the vast array of benefits that the sun provides, wouldn’t you like to bring more natural light into your space?
An effective way of inducing more sunlight inside your home or business is by installing skylights. They are much more than design elements because they can effectively allow natural light inside, and if placed strategically, these roof windows can help with insulation and ventilation.
Aside from proper installation, manufacturers apply various glazing methods, including heat-absorbing tints, insulated glazing, low-emissivity (Low-E) coatings, or translucent insulation material between several glazing layers. With the application of these efficient technologies, are skylights efficient?
Are Skylights Energy-Efficient?
In addition to improving the aesthetics and quality of light, skylights are built to be energy-efficient all year round. They help maintain heat inside during colder months and keep the cool air during the warmer seasons. To successfully achieve these benefits, you must be careful when buying and installing the skylight.
Complaints with rooftop windows typically arise from inappropriate installation or product selection. Be careful in choosing which skylight unit to buy, and consider the installation area and the property’s location.
For instance, selecting a window with a high solar heat gain may keep you warm and toasty during the winter but could trap heat during the summer. Carefully placing skylights in your space will help you avoid this dilemma and keep you cozy all year round.
How are Skylights Energy-Efficient?
While most manufacturers consider efficiency when designing skylights, wrong selection and improper installation outweigh its staggering efficiency benefits. The units you choose matter, and if you want to conserve energy, then examine the product’s energy performance characteristics.
- U-Factor – The U factor measures the window’s energy performance in transmitting non-solar heat flow. This measurement applies to windows, doors, and skylights. The U-factor rating primarily refers to the product’s glass or glazing, but it also evaluates the entire window performance for NFRC U-factor ratings. Essentially, the lower the U rating, the higher its energy-efficiency level.
- Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) – The SHGC informs you how the skylight absorbs, converts, and distributes heat inside a home or office. The lower the SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits and the greater its shading capability — making it highly efficient in blocking out heat during summer. On the other hand, a skylight with high SHGC is ideal for storing heat during winter.
- Air Leakage – Based on the term itself, air leakage refers to the rate of air movement around a window, door, or skylight. A low air leakage grade window is tighter than a higher air leakage rating. Ultimately, the air leakage will also depend on installing the window.
The installation of your skylight will make or break its energy efficiency. A professional installer understands that the process involves meticulous planning and several layers of sealant to create a moisture barrier which would help with the skylight’s ability to conserve and retain energy.
Choosing the Right Skylight
Being energy efficient doesn’t necessarily mean that you can only choose from basic skylight designs and features. Many people include aesthetics in their priority list, and manufacturers have cleverly incorporated appearance with functionality. Here are the most commonly used skylights:
- Flat Panel Skylight – When it comes to conserving energy and reducing heat costs, you can rely on flat-panel skylights to accomplish both. They are constructed with damage-proof surfaces and thick fiberboard insulation to ensure efficiency.
- Fixed Skylight – As the name suggests, fixed skylights do not offer ventilation since they are set and cannot be opened. This type of rooftop window is ideally used in dim light areas such as attics and stairwells.
- Ventilated Skylight – Unlike fixed skylights, ventilated windows work as an excellent source of ventilation in kitchens and bathrooms. They help remove moisture build-up by keeping a constant flow of fresh air inside. It essentially works as an additional window at home.
- Tubular Skylight – Tubular rooftop windows can be used in residential and commercial spaces since they can effectively deliver natural light inside the property. In addition, it is the ideal option when the roof layout required for a fixed or ventilated skylight is not available.
- Custom Skylight – These aren’t your traditional box or tube skylight that allows light inside a room as they are uniquely designed. Clients can request many features in one skylight, such as allowing natural light and airtight and dry simultaneously. The focus for custom skylights primarily depends on their appearance and not much on functionality.
- Pyramid Skylight – Pyramid skylights are typically mounted on the curb of flat roofs, available with several slopes or pitch options. While this type essentially has a pyramid effect, it is a hip ridge skylight built over a rectangular opening. This skylight category also includes multi-sided openings known as polygon skylights constructed with over 6 or 8 sided openings.
- Dome Shaped Skylight – Made with durable and flexible plastic, domed skylights are shaped in the form of a dome to allow the sunlight to spread across the room evenly. They can be used for residential and commercial applications. Domed rooftop windows may also be used to enlighten lobbies or entrances and focus the light on art installations such as murals, sculptures, planters, paintings, reflecting pools, etc.
- Barrel Vault Skylight – When it comes to larger facilities, you can rely on barrel skylights to enlighten large spaces in atriums, lobbies, and buildings. They can also be used as entrance canopies or covers between adjacent structures.
- Curb-Mounted Skylight – Skylights with a curb-mounted design are among the most popular types of skylights available. They are cost-efficient and work well in any room setting. The curb must be double-walled to retain heat inside to ensure insulation.
- Ridge Skylight – This type of rooftop window is ideal when the skylight continues in the same plane as the roof pitch and follows along the roof’s ridge. Ridge windows provide more sunlight inside a facility than a regular window.
While there is a common misconception that skylights can decrease your property’s energy efficiency by trapping heat during summer and releasing cold air during winter, skylights can instead boost efficiency with proper installation. It includes saving money on your heating, cooling, and energy bills. There are ways to check it, but if you are not sure how to do this yourself, you can always hire professionals who will examine the skylight and suggest repairs if needed.
