ᐅ Skylights or artificial lighting as an alternative?

Hello dear community,

I would like to ask for your advice and opinions again regarding our new build project:
Our general contractor (GC) included a skylight in the base package during planning. The skylight provides natural light to the hallway on the ground floor, the stairwell, and the hallway on the upper floor.
Now we are considering whether we really want to keep the skylight or if we should rather remove it from the plan. I have attached pictures of the floor plan/exterior view as well as a photo from the show home.

Advantages of the skylight:
- More natural light—or natural light at all—in the hallway/stairwell

Disadvantages of the skylight:
- Expensive: GC credit unknown, plus an additional €1000 (about $1,100) for an electric shutter (which would be a must for us)
- Difficult to clean
- Disturbs the roof surface, preventing full, uninterrupted installation of photovoltaic panels
- Possible weak spot in the roof for moisture penetration over the years
- Potential issues with overheating in summer (which means shutters would likely often be closed anyway)
- Possibly noisy during rain/hail
- Possible weak point for burglary

Questions:
(1) How would you decide? Keep the skylight or remove it?
(2) What would you most likely use to replace such a skylight? (Smart home is planned, so lighting with motion sensors is no problem)

Our friends have a roof window in their stairwell, while the future neighbors in the new development do not. There is a huge difference in brightness; having a window also makes the hallway or stairs feel much more spacious and less confined. The cleaning aspect is true – it can only be done with a step ladder, and usually only once a year if at all. I would recommend carefully considering whether to leave out this small window – a small window has a big impact. The new neighbors already regret their decision to paint over their roof window... Daylight can only be partially replaced by additional LEDs or similar lighting.

I share the same view as the previous poster and would also like to ask why there is an electric roller shutter installed there. That’s the east side, assuming the north arrow is correct, so why would you constantly need to lower the shutter there?

We have had a window like that in our stairwell for 25 years now. And I wouldn’t want to miss it for a single day.

Regarding your criteria:

Schnubbihh schrieb:

Advantages of roof windows:
- More natural light or natural light at all in the hallway/stairwell

Exactly – and that basically says it all.

Schnubbihh schrieb:

Disadvantages of roof windows:
- Expensive: no known credit from the general contractor, plus 1000€ for an electric shutter (which would be a must for us)

Any credit is probably minimal – and I don’t see the shutter as a must. We don’t have one (even on the east side). I can’t comment on the additional cost you expect.

Schnubbihh schrieb:

- Difficult to clean

I honestly can’t remember the last time I cleaned it... must have been sometime in the 2000s... who cares.

Schnubbihh schrieb:

- Visual interruption on the roof, preventing full coverage with photovoltaic panels

Our solar panels face west only... and even then, it wouldn’t bother me...

Schnubbihh schrieb:

- Possible weak spot in the roof that could allow moisture penetration over decades

There’s always some risk. I also married a lovely woman, even though that increased the risk that someone else would find her attractive...

Schnubbihh schrieb:

- Problematic for summer heat protection (so the shutter would probably be closed most of the time anyway)

As I said: not relevant for 25 years.

Schnubbihh schrieb:

- Possibly noisy during rain/hail

Now it’s getting a bit odd...

Schnubbihh schrieb:

- Vulnerable to break-ins

... and now it’s just ridiculous. Do you seriously think someone would break open the roof window to get into your house???

Schnubbihh schrieb:

Questions:
(1) How would you decide? Roof window or better left out?
(2) What would you most likely replace such a roof window with? (Smart home is planned, so lighting with motion sensors is not a problem)

For the first question, my answer is clear; regarding the second, we don’t have a smart home because I’m not a fan of that nonsense – but we do have motion sensor battery-powered lamps installed.

But honestly, there is nothing cooler than staggering to bed in the evening and having the full moon shine through the roof window on a clear night as if it’s paid to do so...

kbt09 schrieb:

I agree with the previous poster and additionally wonder why there is an electric roller shutter there? That’s the east side, if the north arrow is correct, so why would you keep lowering the shutter all the time?

It’s west, or even slightly southwest.

Schnubbihh schrieb:

It is west or even slightly southwest

Ok, then invest the 1,000 euros. But it’s worth it. Besides, you can always open it again in the evening.

Alternatively: there are also coated glass options that provide strong thermal insulation (we have them in our conservatory) – these are also sufficient for southwest exposure.