Energy Efficiency

Building owners, occupants, and code officials are increasingly sensitive to energy use (and costs), and are demanding more and more efficiency from the products they buy and endorse. The ever-growing sustainable living movement serves to reinforce this fact.

VELUX has been ahead of the curve, and intends to stay there. With more than 90% of our production ENERGY STAR qualified in all United States climate zones, you can specify our products confidently and proudly. And we want to hear from you if you have specific suggestions on how we could do even better for your clients.

Manufacturing Sensitivity

As a worldwide steward of the environment, VELUX understands the importance of a green friendly manufacturing policy. As a result, all areas of our process, including product design, raw materials, production methods and the use of technologically advanced equipment meet our highest environmental review standards.

Indoor Air and Light Quality

VELUX offers roof windows and skylights with options that allow you to take advantage of daylight and views when your roofline does not permit vertical window placement. The VELUX SUN TUNNEL skylight offers daylighting in up to 95% of the interior spaces of residential and light commercial buildings, providing a better quality of light in the process. 

In addition, skylights installed with light controls such as exterior or interior shades will improve Indoor environmental quality all hours of the day. Venting skylights contribute to greater thermal comfort and ventilation, another important factor for improving indoor environmental quality, by removing excess heat, moisture, odors, and other VOC indoor pollutants. They can also help reduce the need for air-conditioning during the year … thanks to the chimney effect venting skylights create.

In Commercial Buildings

Artificial lighting is one of the largest sources of energy consumption in commercial and industrial applications. On average, artificial lighting accounts for 40% of the building’s total energy. Utilizing the high visible light transmittance VELUX acrylic skylights has been shown to significantly reduce these energy costs through the benefits of daylighting. Typically, proper design of a skylit building results in a skylight-to-floor ratio (SFR) of between 4%-6%. With proper design, the cost of skylights is paid back often in less than two years. This is because high visible light transmittance VELUX acrylic skylights allow artificial lighting to be turned off on average of 70%-80% of the time. 

Ventilation

Airing is a natural habit for most people. Morning rituals often include a thorough airing out of the bedroom and the bathroom after showering. Similarly, many people instinctively open the windows to let in some fresh air after cooking and cleaning, or when they return home. These actions reflect a desire to keep the home smelling sweet and fresh, and a concern for the health and well-being of the family. 

In fact, letting fresh air into your home gives a sense of belonging and feeling at home. On a warm day it is very pleasant to feel the breeze through the windows, letting in the smells and sounds of summer and activating all your senses. When you air out your home, you take control of it, remove the boundaries between inside and outside, and make it an active and inhabited place

Links

• ENERGY STAR®
• U.S. Department of Energy
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• National Fenestration Rating Council®
• The Green Building Initiative™
• The National Green Building Program™
• U.S. Green Building Council
• Building Green
• California Energy Commission
• Efficient Windows