How roof glazing is building a more sustainable future: Trevor Smith, National Housing Manager, VELUX explains more
With buildings accounting for nearly 40% of Europe’s total energy consumption, creating homes that are energy efficient, healthy and enjoyable to live in has never been more important. Roof glazing plays a key role in achieving this balance, providing practical and wellbeing benefits that trade professionals can rely on to deliver betterperforming homes.
At VELUX, our goal is to create wellbeing for both people and planet by transforming spaces through daylight and fresh air. And we believe the solutions to a more sustainable built environment already exist — and that smart glazing plays a much bigger role than many realise.
Roof Glazing: Comfort and Efficiency from the Top Down
Roof glazing is essential in creating homes that are energy efficient and enjoyable to live in. By maximising daylight and encouraging natural ventilation, it helps regulate temperature, reduce energy use, and promote healthier indoor environments. Research shows that daylight and fresh air improve wellbeing, mood and productivity — qualities that homeowners increasingly value. For housebuilders, this translates into homes that are easier to sell, simpler to spec, and valued by occupants.
By admitting up to twice as much daylight as vertical glazing of the same size, roof windows can reduce the need for artificial lighting by 16–20%, cutting energy costs and improving efficiency. They also provide ventilative cooling via the thermal stack effect: warm air rises and escapes through roof openings while cooler air is drawn in from lower levels. This lowenergy, low-tech system helps prevent overheating, keeping interiors comfortable without relying on mechanical cooling.
With the Future Homes Standard tightening building regulations on energy efficiency, improving thermal performance is now a key priority. Glazing specification is central to compliance — making VELUX triple-glazed roof windows stand out. Designed for outstanding insulation, they offer U-values as low as 1.0 W/mÇK, helping housebuilders meet future thermal targets without compromising on daylight or design flexibility. By retaining heat in winter and limiting solar gain in summer, they enhance energy performance and yearround comfort.
Sustainably Made, Built to Last
At VELUX, sustainability starts with the materials used. All the wood in our production is 100% certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification® (PEFC®), ensuring responsible sourced and biodiversity protection.
Durability is equally important. A VELUX roof window is built for a generation of use, undergoing extensive testing — including exposure to a year’s rainfall in just 15 minutes, and a 25,000- cycle mechanical opening test – equivalent to twice-daily use for 34 years.
Our modular design makes maintenance, repairs, and upgrades straightforward, extending product lifespans and supporting the circular economy. That means fewer callbacks, easier servicing, and products that perform long-term.
A Proven Leader in Sustainable Practice
VELUX is the first and only roof window company globally to achieve a Platinum EcoVadis rating, placing us in the top 1% of companies assessed worldwide. This reflects our integration of sustainability across environmental performance, ethical governance, and responsible sourcing. We also operate on 100% documented renewable electricity across the VELUX Group via solar PV purchase agreements, on-site installations, and renewable certificates further reducing operational carbon. These credentials allow builders and specifiers to meet sustainability targets without compromising quality or practicality. It’s a key milestone in our longterm strategy to eliminate operational emissions (Scope 1 & 2) and halve value chain emissions (Scope 3) by 2030.
In 2024, 97% of our primary packaging in Europe became paper-based and fully recyclable, removing over 400 tonnes of plastic from our supply chain since 2021. For installers, this simplifies site waste management: all packaging can be disposed of in a single recyclable waste stream, saving time, reducing clutter.
Better Homes, Better Living
Roof windows don’t just improve energy efficiency — they enhance how people live. Access to daylight and fresh air supports wellbeing, mood, and productivity. By creating naturally lit and ventilated spaces, roof glazing fosters better living environments for homeowners and families.
Converting a loft with VELUX roof windows is a practical, sustainable way to expand a home. It transforms unused roof space into naturally lit, ventilated rooms while avoiding the carbon impact and disruption of a full extension. For installers, this makes projects quicker and simpler, delivering high-quality living spaces with minimal structural work.
Collaborating for a Brighter Future
Our Living Places concept showcases how these principles can be scaled for modern low-carbon living. Using today’s technologies, it demonstrates that affordable homes with an optimal indoor climate can be built with minimal environmental impact.
Creating sustainable homes requires collaboration. At VELUX, we work with customers, suppliers, industry organisations, and climate networks to share knowledge, improve standards, and drive progress across the industry. By combining innovation, responsible sourcing, renewable energy, and long-lasting design, roof glazing is proving to be one of the most effective tools in making our homes — and our industry — fit for the future.
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