A few years ago, rooflights might have conjured up the image of a leaky, impractical hole in the roof, with cold spots underneath and a rattling frame in any kind of harsh weather conditions. How times have changed. Glass rooflights are not only practical, but very beautiful as well, able to offer a whole host of benefits for the style conscious household. They have gone far beyond being something that you have to deal with and instead, they are highly desirable. This is especially true of the glass varieties of rooflight, which are excellent aesthetically and thermally too.
So how energy efficient are glass rooflights and can they ever be a good option for your home? The answer is that absolutely, they can be very energy efficient indeed. They can provide you with more light without in any way compromising the energy efficiency of your room. They can also offer you a good way of ventilating a room if you decide on a hinged rooflight. This can be good for the general maintenance of your home and for preventing damp, as ventilation is very important in the upkeep of a building.
How energy efficient are glass rooflights and can they really help to reduce your energy bills?
New, modern glass rooflights can be very energy efficient and can reduce your heating bills, offering tangible energy saving benefits. Do note that this is only applicable to new rooflights that make use of modern, quality materials.
So how are glass rooflights so energy efficient? For starters, they make use of high quality glass that is as good as, or better than, the glass used in vertical windows. They can certainly have double glazing and some frame will have space for triple glazing as well. This maintains a more consistent temperature indoors and reduces the risk of there being cold spots. It also reduces the risk of condensation developing, which could cause water to drip down into a property. Modern day rooflight glazing can achieve very low u values which proves their energy efficiency.
The frames of glass rooflights also play a central role in making them more energy efficient. The more energy efficient the material, the better the overall insulation. If you want the best insulation possible, often an aluminium frame will be one of the most efficient you can choose. You also need to take into account the reduction in your electricity bills. This stems from the fact you can reduce your reliance on artificial light, as you will have enough natural light for much of the day. You can therefore expect a reduction in your energy bills when you install glass rooflights that bring in more natural light. It’s important to remember that a rooflight can let in around three times the amount of natural light compared to a window that is the same size. If you want to maximise on the amount of natural light coming into a home, then rooflights are very much the best option.
