LIGHT, AIR, AND ENERGY

ROOF WINDOWS

ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Velux is one of the strongest global brands in the building materials industry. Popular worldwide, Velux roof windows signal daylight and fresh air

Velux started developing roof windows in 1941, and is still the world market leader. But today its product portfolio contains much more, including skylights, decoration and sunscreening, and solar panels.

Velux’s renewable energy solutions can be integrated into the roof just like roof windows. To show the potential of its products, the company has constructed two buildings in Denmark and Spain respectively to demonstrate that low energy houses can have large window areas, and at the same time a good indoor climate.

Kurt Emil Eriksen

Thermal solar heating
Kurt Emil Eriksen, head of building legislation at Velux, believes that thermal solar heating has a great potential worldwide – it supplies more energy today than wind turbines and is extensively used in China. Eriksen expects that thermal solar heating will provide a significant future proportion of the energy used for hot water and central heating in Europe and the USA. In Denmark it is estimated that thermal solar heating can cover 15% of energy consumption in buildings.

In 1999 Velux entered an apartment block renovation project in St. Petersburg, Russia, which involved installation of a new attic storey on the building

Attic apartments
In 1999 Velux entered an apartment block renovation project in St. Petersburg, Russia, which involved installation of a new attic storey on the building. The idea was that both renovation of the old building as well as construction of the new attic, would be financed via sales of the new attic apartments. In 2004 Velux extended the idea in collaboration with a number of partners, and developed a prototype attic dwelling for installation on top of existing buildings. This was part of a larger European building renovation project in eight countries. The attic dwelling provides low energy consumption, optimal daylight and a pleasant indoor climate. Energy is produced by a combination of thermal solar energy and solar panels, making the dwelling CO2 neutral and independent of other energy networks.

“The project is interesting from a renovation perspective, but so is the dwelling in itself,” says Kurt Emil Eriksen. “Many places in the world would be interested in a residential building that makes its own electricity. The CO2 neutral demonstration building is on display in front of the Velux headquarters and is frequently visited by people with an interest in energy efficiency. The low energy consumption is provided by a combination of solar cells, solar panels, sunscreening, low energy window panes and heat recovery.” Velux sees increasing interest in energy efficiency and renewables. “It is clear that on the large and very interesting US market that the focus is now on energy efficiency and supply reliability of fossil fuels,” concludes Kurt Emil Eriksen.

http://www.velux.dk