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» In SOLTAG, high-level roof windows are installed to let in as much daylight as possible. High-level roof  windows bring more sky into the interior, giving you better daylight, and more of it.

A house designed with daylight in mind

With its 45-degree saddle roof, SOLTAG is right be­neath the sky, with direct access to sunshine and the heavens. Above the city, daylight is plentiful. And with apertures facing the sky, the house opens up and lets light and heat into the heart of the home.

The new EU energy directive forms the positive start­ing point for exploiting daylight to the maximum. 
The directive sets the framework for calculation of the en­er­gy efficiency of buildings. Passive solar heat through windows and energy for electric light are among the parameters included in the calculations and, therefore, properties, use and place of windows are important.

The glazed area of the house is 28 % of the total floor­age which is above the standard percentage of normal glazed areas. The position and number of roof windows and door openings are optimised according to the new framework for buildings. The large window areas permit optimised daylighting, but are also a challenge in terms of energy. Energy-efficient material constella­tions are therefore used to match the ratio of glass to insulated surfaces, both in relation to the archi­tectural style and daylighting effect.

In SOLTAG, high-level roof windows are installed to let in as much daylight as possible. A sloping surface lets in twice as much light as a vertical frontage – so the sloping roof areas are ideal sources of light.

The roof windows reach right up to the ridge – like bands of light sending daylight down through the house. The roof windows, which run along the inner end walls, send reflections down across the walls which in turn act as one large reflector in the room. The light is passed and reflected out into the room and in under the open loft space, down to the kitchen and dining area, erasing any shadows from the loft space above.

The roof windows are integrated into the roof struc­ture. Transitions between the interior building elements, in the form of glazing, frameworks, sills, openings and walls are smooth so the daylight changes gradually and is spread without causing dazzling and hard contrasts in the room. The walls and floors are kept as light-coloured surfaces, as this creates the best possible internal reflections.

The house is designed with daylight in mind and is well-lit from dawn to dusk. The light inlets focus on the areas of human activity in the various zones of the home. Only when the sun has set is artificial lighting necessary.

SOLTAG provides light for the eyes and the brain. The room actually has a light bench where you can get your daily vitamin supplement. The large amounts of daylight in the home mean light changes as clouds drift overhead. This provides dynamic lighting to stimulate the senses.

SOLTAG’s low-level roof windows and frontage panels provide a good view out and down. For communication at head height and for checking “the lie of the land”. The roof windows facing the external gallery are raised slightly to prevent people from looking in, and let plenty of daylight into the living room area.

The largest window areas in the home face south. These south-facing roof windows are standard pro­d­ucts that provide maximum access for sunlight. They provide heat as well as light. The low-energy windows used let energy into the home, but also limit heat loss.

Facing north, the passive heat from the sun is limited, so the roof windows are designed to bring light in and retain energy. The north-facing roof windows in the ridge are super low-energy windows – passive house windows with minimum heat loss. Passive house windows consist of an external single glass unit and with a low-insulation pane in the inner sashes. The sash is embedded deep in the frame.

The low-level north-facing roof windows are designed with vacuum-sealed panes. These roof windows are top-hinged and can be used for communication be­tween the external gallery and those inside the house. The bathroom has high-level maintenance-free roof windows designed with vacuum-sealed panes. The position of the windows gives good light, but prevents people looking in from the external gallery.

SOLTAG also introduces io-homecontrol® functions, where windows and other components either manually by remote control or pre-programmed can operate windows, accessories, light etc. The temperature can be regulated by a manual remote control that operates both the indoor Venetian blinds and the ventilation excha­nge through the roof windows. Exterior roller shutters can be connected up to the same system. The light entering the home can be regulated by the inte­rior Venetian blinds.

Read about Daylight factor, luminance, diffused and direct sunlight

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