LocationAustria
Project typeLearning/Playing
Roof typePitched roof
Room typeSolar panel house
“From the moment it became clear how many solar panels were required to satisfy the energy demand and how many roof windows would provide sufficient daylight, I set to work on the drawings. We ultimately devised a roof-mounted solar panel system as an integral part of the design.”
- Willem-Alex Jansen, FIER architects
Affordable, energy-neutral homes
Solar PV panels are a fundamental component in many energy-neutral homes. The same holds true for the 29 properties in ‘Gildenhof’, a new residential development in Dronten. Each house is equipped with 23 solar panels. These are essential for the energy supply, yet present a considerable challenge when it comes to ensuring sufficient daylight in the rooms behind them. How do you create an affordable, energy-neutral home that is also comfortable to live in? The construction team responsible for the Gildenhof project turned to VELUX in search of the answer. Together, they devised a suitable solution using roof windows that are seamlessly aligned to the roof-integrated solar panel system in order to guarantee optimal daylight.
Solar panels embedded in the design
The houses boast an airtight shell, high-performance insulation and a heat recovery system based on a heat pump boiler. This heat pump boiler is powered by the 23 solar panels with which each home is equipped. Willem-Alex Jansen, explains: “The available land had not yet been divided into plots. This allowed us to position the houses in a way that created an open structure in conjunction with the adjacent residential area. The houses are also positioned to optimally benefit from the sun. Solar PV panels were a good match to the project’s budget constraints.
"I was also impressed by the way in which VELUX incorporated police-approved 'Safe Housing' locks into their roof windows. The result is impressive. In my opinion, the roof couldn not be any more pleasing to the eye."
- Thom Grevengoed, Bouwbedrijf De Bruin-Putten
Homes free from energy costs
It was ultimately decided to build 29 energy-neutral homes, with a starting price of €169,000. Energy neutral implies that the houses generate at least as much energy as a model family requires for normal residential use. "That's an attractive prospect for first-time buyers, because it eliminates their energy costs. It also makes it easier to secure a bigger mortgage," says Frans van de Wetering, IJsselland Ontwikkeling.
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Specially developed roof windows
The roof windows were a key consideration in the design. These had to provide sufficient daylight, be seamlessly integrated into the roof-mounted solar panel system, be airtight, aesthetically appealing and also benefit from the police-approved ‘Safe Housing’ label. Two roof windows per home guaranteed the requisite daylight in the rooms immediately below the roof. Thom Grevengoed, says: “In the end, VELUX designed a bespoke roof window; the GGL PK08 2068Q which satisfied all of the project’s requirements. We regularly sat around the table in order to come up with this exclusive product. For example, a modification was required to enable the roof window to be integrated with our chosen GSE mats, which are fitted beneath the solar PV panels. We also paid considerable attention to detail in terms of the 'airtightness' requirement. Naturally, everything had to be seamlessly integrated. The roof windows were equipped with exterior blinds as standard, making a positive contribution to the EPC (Energy Performance Coefficient) calculations."