As the Managing Director in Miele, Belgium and Luxembourg, Raffaella has successfully transformed the company into a highly profitable, award-winning market leader through the creation and execution of a strategic vision, operational efficiency and by fostering an innovative, collaborative culture.

Raffaella takes over the position after André Dot.

In July and August 2024, VELUX Group invited nearly 100 architects, entrepreneurs, designers and journalists from 12 countries to live at Living Places Copenhagen as part of an experiment that builds on years of research led by VELUX Group in scientifically monitoring different model homes to better understand how building design impacts residents' comfort and satisfaction while assessing indoor environmental quality and its effects on human well-being.

Living Places explores how to build homes with an ultra-low CO₂ footprint and an optimal indoor climate using standard materials, methods and technologies available today.

Using 17 environmental sensors strategically placed in the two houses, a questionnaire as well as personal testimonies, VELUX Group examined the houses' indoor comfort performance in terms of indoor air quality, thermal comfort, natural light levels and noise as well as guests’ perceptions of the houses’ functional comfort, such as the layout, their experiences with the community and atmosphere, and their overall satisfaction with the houses.

Five key conclusions from the Living Places Living experiment

1. Living Places can inspire and showcase how to build sustainably
For over 20 years, the VELUX Group has initiated and participated in more than 30 demonstration buildings exploring the future of healthy buildings through full scale experiments. In 2021, VELUX Group launched an open innovation process to change the way we build today towards more sustainable practices and to decarbonize buildings. The result, Living Places, shows that it is possible to build more sustainable and healthy buildings using standard materials, methods and technologies that are available today.

2. Healthy buildings that are good for people and the planet can be achieved by applying a holistic approach focusing more on comfort, energy and environment parameters
Advocating for the well-being of people and the planet requires a holistic approach to sustainable living and building practices that looks at the entire life cycle of a building, from design and construction to use.

3. The way we design our homes can significantly influence residents' well-being and their way of living
Our homes are an important part of our overall health. We spend 90% of our time indoors, yet 1 out of 3 Europeans is exposed to at least one indoor climate hazard such as lack of daylight, cold, damp or noise, according to the Healthy Homes Barometer 2022 and Healthy Buildings Barometer 2024. The way we build and live directly impacts our physical and mental health. The design of the house and indoor environment has a strong positive impact on residents' well-being, with over 70% of Living Places guests reporting improved mood, increased relaxation, and a sense of connection to nature while experiencing minimal negative effects.

4. The design of Living Places Copenhagen, which optimizes daylight and natural ventilation, has been well-received by guests
Designed to optimize daylight and natural ventilation, 83% of all guests favoured spending time in rooms with more natural light while 90% also found it easy to adjust the shadings to ensure an optimal indoor environment. As part of creating well-being at home, functional factors like design, layout, temperature, lighting, and indoor climate can invoke immediate feelings of physical comfort in a building. During their stay, 85% of the guests perceived the houses to fit their functional needs.

5. Living Places Copenhagen has achieved an indoor thermal environment within the comfortable range according to the European Standard
On a conceptual basis, Living Places had been awarded a first-class indoor climate. The results indicate "comfortable ranges" which reflect the actual performance during the experiment period which included the indoor temperature being within the best level of the European Standard (EN 16798-1:2019 standard (Category I)) 89% of the time in one house and 90% of the time in the other and within the comfortable range of the European Standard (EN 16798-1:2019 standard (Category II)) 98% of the time in both houses.

To learn more visit: Build for Life - Living Places Learnings 

In 2024, VELUX Group has been awarded 78 points, a significant increase of 7 percentage points since 2023. This score positions VELUX Group among the top 3% of all companies worldwide. The rating scale ranges from 0 to 100. 

VELUX Group aims for platinum

With two consecutive gold ratings in 2023 and 2024, VELUX Group is aiming for the platinum rating, which would place it in the top 1% of companies globally.

The annual rating process is comprehensive and requires extensive documentation.

One in four Europeans live in buildings where indoor air quality falls below national standards.  Since we spend 90% of our time indoors, how we build and live directly impacts our physical and mental health. Living in a building with a poor indoor climate can result in severe health issues with ill effects ranging from respiratory and skin problems, headaches, and allergies to serious mental health concerns and life-threatening heat or cold[1]. 

The Living Places concept explores how to create an optimal indoor climate with the lowest possible carbon footprint using readily available and tested products, materials, and technologies. On a conceptual basis, Living Places has been awarded a first-class indoor climate, but now the time has come to test how the houses perform with real people living in them.

Since July over 20 architects, influencers, and families from across Europe have lived in the Living Places Copenhagen houses in the railroad district in Copenhagen.

Live monitoring of indoor climate performance
The indoor climate performance of Living Places was predicted during the design stage using simulations and compared synthetically against a benchmark Danish house through the Active House Radar.

The health impacts of Living Places Copenhagen on its occupants are measured through the data from spatial sensors tracking temperature, relative humidity, C02, barometric pressure, particles, light, sounds, occupancy, and some VOCs and the learning will be shared during the fall of 2024.

See the virtual tour of Living Places Copenhagen and read more about Living Places
 

[1] Healthy Buildings Barometer 2024

The project has won this year’s MIPIM Awards for its holistic approach to building more sustainably. It demonstrates how to build homes with a CO2 footprint that is 2/3 lower than the current Danish standard. This is achieved while ensuring a first-class indoor climate and by using existing technology and materials.

Before handing over the prize to representatives from the VELUX Group, EFFEKT, and Artelia, the jury member and partner at BIG, Kai-Uwe Bergmann, said:

The winner was announced at the international MIPIM real estate event in Cannes on March 14th, 2024, where the most influential players from all sectors of the international property industry gather.

In 2023, Living Places Copenhagen won the EY Sustainability Award in the innovation category, the Innovative Design Award of the Bo Bedre magazine’s Design Awards, as well as the “Sustainable Future Award” and the “Merit Award for Architecture” from the American Institute of Architects. 

About Living Places Copenhagen
In April 2023, the VELUX Group, EFFEKT, Artelia, and Enemærke & Petersen opened the doors to Living Places Copenhagen in the Railway District in Copenhagen – the first prototype of the overall Living Places concept. The vision behind the project is to lead the way in the building industry and show how rethinking buildings can help solve some of the global climate and health challenges. The concept is based on five key principles that aim to make homes that are healthy, adaptive, simple, shared over time and scalable. These guiding principles are relevant to both new constructions and established communities.

For more information about Living Places
Read more about the MIPIM Awards 2024

The project has earned its place at this year’s MIPIM Awards by using a holistic approach to building more sustainably. It demonstrates how to build homes with a CO2 footprint that is 2/3 lower than the current Danish standard. This is achieved while ensuring a first-class indoor climate and by using existing technology and materials.

This year’s MIPIM Awards will focus on projects that have been developed with ‘a consideration of construction and operational carbon, to climate and life cycle concerns, and prizes will go chiefly to projects that best serve their end-users and wider communities while making a contribution to the economy’. Read more about the MIPIM Awards 2024.

The winner will be announced at the international MIPIM real estate event in Cannes on March 14th, 2024 where the most influential players from all sectors of the international property industry gather.

In 2023, Living Places Copenhagen won the EY Sustainability Award in the innovation category, the Innovative Design Award of the Bo Bedre magazine’s Design Awards, as well as the “Sustainable Future Award” and the “Merit Award for Architecture” from the American Institute of Architects. 

About Living Places Copenhagen
In April 2023 the VELUX Group, EFFEKT, Artelia, and Enemærke & Petersen opened the doors to Living Places Copenhagen in the Railway District in Copenhagen – the first prototype of the overall Living Places concept. The vision behind the project is to lead the way in the building industry and show how rethinking buildings can help solve some of the global climate and health challenges. The concept is based on five key principles that aim to make homes that are healthy, adaptive, simple, shared over time and scalable. These guiding principles are relevant to both new constructions and established communities.

For more information about Living Places, visit livingplaces.velux.com

Cranes and robots will help prepare, pack and send roof windows, roller shutters and other accessories to customers throughout the Nordic region. This will take place in the VELUX Group's first large high-tech warehouse, located in a 24,000 m² building in Kolding.

Lars Petersson, VELUX Group CEO, looks forward to taking another step towards improving the VELUX customer experience:

Solar energy powers technology
In 2024, around 80 percent of the power for the automated warehouse will come from an adjacent 6,000 m² solar park. Electricity generated by solar panels will power robots, cranes and a monorail that will move pallets around the warehouse, with robots then packing windows and other products on top of them. Then the pallets are transported to a truck for onwards delivery to customers.

Sending windows, roller shutters, blinds and accessories in one shipment to customers will also reduce the number of trucks used for distribution, thereby cutting CO₂ emissions from transportation.

VELUX has set ambitious 2030 targets to reduce CO₂ emissions: emissions from its own operations are to be reduced by 100% and emissions throughout the value chain are to be reduced by 50%.

More windows to customers
The high-tech warehouse can handle up to 50 percent more goods than a manual warehouse, and the robots are programmed to handle more complex tasks. At the same time, the use of cranes and robots improves ergonomics for warehouse employees.

Facts:

• Building prepared from November 2021 to June 2022 to be ready for installation of automation system.
• System installed from June 2022 to June 2023.
• First intake of products happened in August 2023.
• First outbound deliveries to customers occurred in September 2023.
• Kolding warehouse combines three smaller manual warehouses into one: Previously, spare parts were located in Østbirk, blinds and other accessories in Skjern and roof windows in Kolding.
• A roof window weighs on average 53 kg.
• The warehouse contains 12 robots - two 2 picking robots and 10 pallet cranes.
• A solar park provides 80 percent of the power - to be completed in Q3 of 2024.
• The high-tech warehouse can handle up to 50 percent more goods than a manual warehouse.
• VELUX has invested more than DKK 100 million in the highly automated warehouse.

VELUX intends to contribute to setting the framework for action at COP by organising several events both independently and in partnership with others. Here is an overview of the VELUX Group’s presence at COP28 in Dubai.

VELUX COP28 events

Nordic Private Public Partnerships: Sustainable Collaboration Driving Environmental Progress in Climate Innovation

Time: Saturday, 2 December 9:30 – 10:15 (GST)

Location: Nordic Pavilion

Topic: This forum will explore the effectiveness of a unified approach that bridges the public and private sectors, fostering more impactful, coordinated, and sustainable measures for combating climate change. The Nordic model of government-business cooperation serves as a powerful example of how such collaborative partnerships can shape effective roadmaps towards carbon neutrality, enabling the resolution of urgent global challenges and the acceleration of climate action. 

Speakers: Kristín Linda Árnadóttir, Deputy CEO of Landsvirkjun ; Representative from Denmank (TBC) ; Representative from Finland (TBC); Julie Kjestrup, VELUX A/S 

Organiser: Green by Iceland

Market Transformation Activation: Preparing for Paris 2024

Time: Saturday, 2 December 16:00 – 17:30 (GST)

Location: Buildings Pavilion

Topic: The leaders of the private sector recognize the importance of the Buildings Breakthrough and are strongly supportive. This event will explore the tangible steps private sector actors in the built environment can and need to take before the presentation of the Buildings Breakthrough during the ministerial Global Forum in Paris in March 2024. 

In a first session with CEO and C-suite representatives, they will discuss how the Market Transformation shared action agenda will convey the business actions and strongly support building breakthrough achievements. This will be followed by a session discussing levers of change from a number of perspectives. The overall aim is to collect inputs and integrate participants' actions that can then be taken forward towards the Global Forum in March 2024.

Speakers: Yves-Laurent Sapoval, Conseiller Direction générale de l'Aménagement du Logement et de la Nature, French Government ; Manish Pant, EVT International Operations, Schneider Electric ; Chris Seymour, Mott MacDonal Regional Director, RICS ; Juan Caballero, Chief of Programs, Build Change ; Lori Ferris, Architecture 2030 ; Judy Zakreski or Ryan Colker, ICC 

Organisers: VELUX and WBCSD, in partnership with ARUP

Under2 Coalition General Assembly - Buy green to go green: Winning the race for jobs and investment through zero carbon steel and concrete procurement

Time: Sunday, 3 December 14:00 - 15:30 (GST)

Location: Intercontinental Dubai Festival City

Topic: Steel and concrete production are responsible for 15% of global emissions – and demand continues to rise. We need urgent action now! Governments can kick-start the production of green steel and concrete by using their powers as purchasers and regulators. The prize for early movers is enormous - the global green transition will be built with steel and concrete. Companies can help shape the market and attract investment by committing now to buy low emission steel and concrete products.  

VELUX will take part in the case study presentation and discussion Raising the level of ambition: How private sector leaders are driving action on industrial decarbonisation and how public sector bodies can help strengthen the case for investors, where companies will have the opportunity to talk about why they think it is important to focus on reducing the amount of energy used, and pollution caused by the products that go into building construction.

Case study speakers: Jason Langer, Group Managing Director, Projects, Robert Bird Group ; Paul Toyne, Practice Leader, Sustainability, Grimshaw Architects ; Helen Walter-Terrinoni, Director-Global Climate Policy, Trane Technologies ; Fleming Voetmann,  Vice President External Relations and Sustainability, the VELUX Group ; Moderated by Jen Carson, Head of Industry, Climate Group

Organiser: Climate Group

Building the Future: Decarbonising Materials for a Sustainable and Resilient Tomorrow

Time: Tuesday, 05 December 8:00 – 9:30 (GST)

Location: Goals House, Concrete, Alserkal Avenue 

Topic: Decarbonising materials used in new buildings is a critical step in addressing climate change and achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This process involves reducing the carbon emissions associated with the production, transportation, and use of construction materials. To understand how we can integrate low-carbon or carbon-neutral alternatives, KOMPAS VC and VELUX will convene a roundtable of policymakers, research institutions and leaders from the construction industry, to explore how we can decarbonise the materials used in new buildings, and discuss the funding, investment and innovation needed.

Organisers: Kompas VC, Goals House and VELUX 

Scaling corporate climate action - investing in forests for climate, nature, and people

Time: Wednesday, 06 December 11:00 – 12:00 (GST) 

Location: Panda Pavillion 

Topic: World leaders, governments, and companies, are worryingly behind on delivering the promise to end and reverse deforestation by 2030. This event convenes governments, companies, and NGOs that are already taking action to finance nature-based solutions and implementation of forest protection and restoration to reduce and remove carbon emissions. The event will showcase examples of forest carbon initiatives: the partnership between the VELUX Group and WWF and the Trinational Alliance for the Atlantic Forest Restoration. The event will focus on the urgent need to scale forest carbon efforts and how to inspire other actors to invest in high-integrity and high-quality forest carbon projects to ensure triple benefits and a move beyond voluntary carbon credit markets.

Speakers: Dan Jørgensen, Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy; Tom Okello, Executive Director, National Forestry Authority, Uganda; Fleming Voetmann, Vice-President, External Relations and Sustainability, The VELUX Group; A representative from the Trinational Alliance for the Atlantic Forest Restoration, TBC. THe event will be moderated by Fran Price, WWF Forest Practice Lead.

Organisers: WWF & VELUX 

You can view a recording of the event online here.  

Roundtable on Circularity (by invitation only)

Time: Friday, 08 December 11:00 – 12:00 (GST)

Location: Meeting room 3 at the UNGABC pavilion 

Topic: Humanity currently uses resources at an unsustainable rate and demand for materials is set to double again by 2030, compared to 2010¹. Half of global raw materials extraction goes into the world’s built environment² and the sector generates one third of the world's overall waste and around 30% of the global waste³, and over a third of global CO2 emissions (UN Global Building Alliance 2022). Thereby the construction sector plays a major role in meeting the Paris Agreement and creating a circular economy.

Speakers: Jamie Rusby, Group Sustainability Director, VELUX A/S ; Leena Ylä-Mononen, Executive Director, European Environment Agency

Organisers: Danish Association of Engineers (IDA) & VELUX

Circularity in Built Environment: Sustainable Collaboration Driving Environmental Progress in Climate Innovation 

Time: Friday, 08 December 12:30 – 13:30 (GST) 

Location: Danish pavilion 

Organisers: State of Green & VELUX 

Roundtable: Transition Plans 

Time: Saturday, 09 December 11:00 – 12:30 (GST) 

Location: WMBC Business Pavilion 

Topic: Following up on last years discussions this event focuses on business and finance engagement around the green transition, and its links to nature, given that the 9th of December is considered a thematic day on ‘nature, land use and oceans’. 

Speakers: Jamie Rusby, Group Sustainability Director, VELUX A/S 

Organiser: CLG UK 

Roundtable on CO2 reduction in the Built Environment 

Time: Saturday, 09 December 12:30 – 13:30 (GST) 

Location: UNGABC or State of Green 

Organiser: VELUX 

Urgency, challenges, and solutions to reduce Carbon emissions from buildings.

Time: Saturday, 09 December 15:00 – 16:00 (GST) 

Location: Danish pavilion 

Topic: The construction sector is responsible for one third of global CO2 emissions and still only a few countries has set legislative requirement to reduce CO2 emissions from buildings during the lifetime of the building. The built area is expected doubled before 2060, when compared to 2020 bringing a need to evaluate Carbon Emissions from materials and construction processes, together with the in operation phase. At this session we will make a stocktake on the current situation, discuss the urgency to reduce CO2 emissions from buildings and bring forward best case examples with the objective to bring forward political recommendations.

Organisers: State of Green & VELUX 

VELUX on site at COP28: 

Julie Kjestrup, Head of Policy and Thought Leadership  
julie.kjestrup@velux.com

On site dates: 30 Nov - 7 December

Topic areas: Sustainable buildings, Energy efficiency, renovation, IEQ/multiple benefits, Value chain decarbonisation and partnerships, EU policy/advocacy/partnerships 

Fleming Voetmann, Vice President External Relations & Sustainability 
fleming.voetmann@velux.com 

On site dates: 30 Nov - 7 December

Topic areas: Sustainable buildings, energy efficiency, whole life carbon, renovation, indoor environmental quality/multiple benefits, value chain decarbonisation and partnerships, international advocacy and policy 

Jamie Rusby, Group Director Sustainability 
james.rusby@velux.com 

On site dates: 6-9 December

Topic areas: Decarbonisation and circular economy in manufacturing (building materials and components) 

Kurt Emil Eriksen, Director of Public Affairs, Region North and CEE 
kurt.emil.eriksen@velux.com

On site dates: 7-12 December

Topic areas: Building regulations, energy efficiency, carbon requirement to buildings, LCA, sustainability 

Living Places Copenhagen, built by the VELUX Group, EFFEKT architects, Artelia engineers and Enemærke & Petersen contractors, has been awarded with two international awards by the American Institute of Architects. The AIA has just announced that the Danish design studio EFFEKT has been awarded the Sustainable Future Award and the Merit Award for Architecture.

With the Sustainable Future Award and the Merit Award for Architecture, Living Places Copenhagen is recognized for its outstanding design and for demonstrating that it is possible to improve human health and energy efficiency and manage our dwindling resources in a sustainable way through meaningful, sustainable, and integrated design. More about the awards: www.aiainternational.org/design-awards-2023-winners.

The news of the two international awards was also received with great enthusiasm by EFFEKT, the architects on the project.

In September 2023, Living Places Copenhagen won the EY Sustainability award in the innovation category for its groundbreaking and innovative concept for future housing, and in November Living Places Copenhagen received the design award of the Bo Bedre magazine in the Innovative of the Year category.

About Living Places Copenhagen
In April 2023 the VELUX Group, EFFEKT, Artelia, and Enemærke & Petersen opened the doors to Living Places Copenhagen in the Railway District in Copenhagen. It is the first prototype of the overall Living Places concept, and the vision is to lead the way in the building industry and show how rethinking buildings can help solve some of the global climate and health challenges. The groundbreaking project demonstrates that it is possible to build homes with a CO2 footprint that is 2/3 lower per m2/year than the Danish standard while ensuring a first-class indoor climate.

With the building industry accounting for 37% of the global CO2 emissions there is a urgent need for low carbon solutions to be scaled and implemented in the building industry. Earlier this year, the VELUX Group and its partners, EFFEKT and Artelia, presented the Living Places concept as one example of how rethinking buildings can help solve some of the global climate and health challenges. An important aim and aspect of the Living Places project is to scale the concept to the rest of Europe and to apply Living Places more broadly through knowledge sharing. The new partner agreement between The VELUX Group and Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma, is the first partner agreement on the Living Places project and the Dutch company will be the first house builder to use the Living Places concept in its development and construction processes and to build a full scale Living Places prototype in the Northern part of the Netherlands.

Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma has an ambition to build the future homes of the Netherlands in a more sustainable way and has already developed a replaceable timbered frame house insulated with biobased materials like cattail, miscanthus, hemp and flax.

A partner agreement to build more sustainable housing
In the partner agreement with Dijkstra Draisma, the VELUX Group commits to share knowledge, analyses, calculations and simulations on the Living Places concept as well as detailed information on the five key Living Places principles: that homes should be adaptive, healthy, simple, scalable and shared over time, with the Dutch house builder. The VELUX Group will furthermore share concrete learnings and know-how from the Living Places Copenhagen-prototype and work closely together with Dijkstra Draisma to exchange knowledge on low carbon housing.

Read more about the Living Places project here

The partnership with the UIA conference is based on a shared goal of driving the sustainable transition of the building industry by fostering dialogue and bringing together global opinion leaders and important stakeholders from all sectors of the industry.

As an Impact Partner, the VELUX Group will contribute with talks and knowledge-sharing around three key topics; sustainability in a global context, housing of the future and the next generation of industry professionals.

Please see the full program of the UIA conference: https://uia2023cph.org/programme/

Living Places Copenhagen – a SDG Pavilion for the UIA conference
The 14^th of April this year, the VELUX Group and its partners, EFFEKT, Artelia and Enemærke & Petersen, opened the doors to Living Places Copenhagen. A building exhibition demonstrating how to build homes with a CO₂ footprint of 3.8 kg/CO₂/m²/year – three times lower than the current Danish legislation of 12 kg CO₂/m²/year – with a best in class indoor climate. The vision behind the project is to lead the way within the building industry and show how rethinking buildings can help solve some of the global climate- and health challenges.

Living Places Copenhagen has been chosen as one of the 15 SDG Pavilions for the UIA World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen. Each pavilion is chosen due to its unique suggestion for how to build for the future and relates to one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs). Living Places has been chosen as one of the pavilions reflecting the 11^th SDG-goal “Sustainable cities and communities”.

The VELUX Group has committed to capture the equivalent of their historical CO₂ emissions from operations from 1941 to 2041. This will be achieved through a portfolio of forest projects financed by the VELUX Group and developed and managed by WWF offices in each country in partnership with local authorities and communities. The VELUX-WWF partnership goes beyond emission reduction in the VELUX Group’s own operations and its value chain, where the Group has set a target to achieve a 100% reduction in emissions from operations (scope 1 and 2) and to halve their value chain emissions (scope 3) by 2030.

The partnership's first forest project is located in Uganda, where one of the worst affected areas, Kagombe in Uganda, has seen a deforestation rate of 73% in the past decade. The project aims to restore degraded forests, plant new trees, and protect the existing natural forests.  Through community-based conservation, it is expected that the project will capture 1 million tonnes of CO2. More than 180,000 trees have now been planted and local alternatively livelihood activities have commenced.

Two new projects to benefit people, nature and climate
The two additional forest projects have been selected based on the carbon potential, the biodiversity and community benefits as well as the long-term sustainability of each project. The project in Viet Nam, located in the mountainous Central Annamites Landscape, focuses on REDD activities and is expected to contribute with reductions and removals of more than 2 million tonnes of CO₂. The project in Madagascar is located in the mangroves of the Manambolo – Tsiribihina Landscape and focuses on ARR activities. The project is expected to contribute with reductions and removals of more than 0.5 million tonnes of CO₂. All numbers are preliminary estimates and may be subject to change as part of a third party validation.

Each project will deliver nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate mitigation aligned with WWF’s Blueprint for High-Quality Interventions that Work for People, Nature and Climate. These projects are designed to halt deforestation and restore natural forests in key biodiversity hot spots in partnership with communities and local authorities. The carbon emissions removed and reduced from the forest projects will be donated to the host countries’ conditional climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. This means that the carbon will not be used for off-setting of VELUX carbon emissions or any other organisation’s emissions.

Read more about the projects in Uganda, Viet Nam and Madagascar.

For more information contact
Christine Boeriis Dannisøe, Media Relations Manager: + 45 28 97 80 72 or christine.dannisoee@velux.com

Mai-Britt Noe, Head of PR & Media, WWF Denmark: +45 28 93 63 28 or mai-britt.noe@wwf.dk

Progress on the Uganda project 

• 180,000+ trees have been planted in Kagombe Central Forest Reserve 
• The project is also starting to have positive impact on local communities with introduction of alternative livelihood options such as mushroom growing and large-scale apiaries. 
• More than 400 beehives have been set up in two communities and will provide a substantial economic contribution to the 80 community group members. 
• Each beehive is expected to generate a gross income of USD 124 annually, which is equivalent to 92% of annual per capita income in the Project Area. 

The building industry accounts for 34% of the global energy consumption and 37% of the global CO₂ emissions^[1], and in the latest report from the UN's climate panel, it is clear that low carbon solutions must be scaled and implemented – also in the building industry. One of those solutions can be experienced in Copenhagen from today. With the groundbreaking project Living Places Copenhagen, the VELUX Group and its partners, demonstrate how to build homes with a CO₂ footprint of 3.8 kg/CO₂/m²/year – three times lower than the current Danish legislation of 12 kg CO₂/m²/year – and to a price that matches the market price for a one-family house or rowhouses at scale. Furthermore, Living Places Copenhagen is designed with a strong focus on creating a healthy indoor climate using daylight and fresh air and it delivers best in class indoor climate.

Living Places Copenhagen is the first prototype showcasing the overall concept - Living Places – which was initiated by the VELUX Group, EFFEKT and Artelia. The vision is to lead the way within the building industry and show how rethinking buildings can help solve some of the global climate and health challenges. The concept is based on five key principles: homes should be healthy, adaptive, simple, shared over time and scalable. These principles can be applied to new or existing buildings and communities. 

The materials, solutions and knowledge are already here 
As a part of The Living Places Copenhagen project, the VELUX Group, EFFEKT, Artelia and Enemærke & Petersen, have carried out a complete Life Cycle Assessment. This means that each material, design and building technique has been carefully considered and mapped in terms of the emissions they project compared to a typical Danish household. Based on this, the partnership have built prototypes, showing that we do not have to wait for future technology to build homes that benefit both people and the planet.

Living Places Copenhagen showcases a total of seven prototypes – five open pavilions and two completed full-scale homes which open to the public on Earth Day on the 22nd April. As an official partner to the UIA World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen, Living Places Copenhagen will host a programme of debates and activities designed to drive and accelerate change in the building industry.

Read more about Living Places Copenhagen and how to book a tour here: https://buildforlife.velux.com/en/livingplaces/visit-living-places-copenhagen 

^[1] UN Global Building Alliance Status Report 2022

VELUX Group and BayWa r.e. today announce a groundbreaking dual-site deal to address the world-leading roof window manufacturer's European operations with 100% renewable electricity by 2024.

The Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) will drive the development of two new solar parks in Southern Spain, one close to Seville and the other in nearby Granada. The latter, called Alhendín solar park, includes BayWa r.e.’s first installation of innovative Agri-PV technology in Spain, which will allow for crops to grow in between the solar panels.

Bringing more renewable energy online

Connecting to the grid in 2023 and 2024, the two plants will generate 167 GWh of renewable electricity every year for VELUX, equivalent to the electricity consumption of approximately 45,000 European homes. Eighty per cent of the total electricity generated by the plants will be generated due to the PPAs with VELUX. The new PPA will reduce the carbon footprint of VELUX with approximately 40,000 tonnes of CO2e from the company's European operations and activities on a yearly basis.

Pioneering solar plant symbiosis

About 10% of the Alhendín solar park will be an Agri-PV installation, a new solar application that combines energy generation and food production, of which BayWa r.e. is a pioneer and leader. This installation will be specially designed with taller rows of panels, more widely spaced to allow farming to continue and modern farming machinery to pass between the panel rows, in this case to produce crops. The PV modules will also be used to collect rainwater, which will help the farmer manage the continuing risks posed by climate change and droughts in a very dry area.

This PPA is pioneering the concept of solar plant symbiosis – a concept integrating solar power production with nature and community for mutual benefit. The development of both the plants will include a comprehensive plan and suite of community and environmental measures that will enhance local biodiversity and foster community involvement.

To ensure that the parks will always prioritize their local environment and communities, BayWa r.e. will be partnering with nearby universities – namely Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Universidad de Córdoba – to form an interdisciplinary research group whose findings will ultimately inform a comprehensive and bespoke site strategy.

Helping to deliver on VELUX Group’s historic carbon capture commitment

Once connected to the grid, the new solar farms will enable VELUX to achieve its 2030 target to reduce emissions from its own operations and activities by 100%. This target is part of the company's 2030 sustainability strategy commitment to pioneer climate and nature action. The commitment also includes targets to capture its historical emissions since its founding in 1941 through forest conservation projects in partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) by 2041 and halving its value chain emissions by 2030.

Schneider Electric, the leading advisor on global corporate renewable energy procurement, supported VELUX in the selection of the projects and their negotiations.

On a personal level, Lars Petersson is 53 years old and Swedish. He lives in the Copenhagen area with his wife Annica with whom he has two grown-up children.

David Briggs to retire from VELUX 

After five years at the helm of the VELUX Group, David Briggs will step down as CEO in September.

All Ukrainian activities on hold 
Due to the serious situation in Ukraine, all activities in VELUX Ukraine stopped on 24 February 2022 and all employees were asked to stay home. 
 

VELUX Group is owned by VKR Holding A/S. VKR Holding A/S also owns DOVISTA, which does not have activities in these three countries. 

The decision to slowly recommence roof window production across the VELUX Group in Europe is based on the need to replenish stock and to meet the current demand for our products in several markets. Furthermore, a limited start-up will maintain workplace stability and support the functioning of societies where we operate.

All the affected VELUX roof window manufacturing facilities in Europe will initiate weekly production on three out of five weekdays from April 14 and until further notice. The number of weekly working days will be adjusted as needed, based on sales, stock and component supply availability.

The following manufacturing facilities will slowly recommence operations:

Germany

• JTJ Sonneborn Industrie GMBH

Poland

• NB Polska Sp. z o.o.
• NM Polska Sp. z o.o.

Hungary

• VELUX Magyarország Kft, LKR-Hungary

Slovakia

• Partizánske Building Components – SK s.r.o.

Denmark

• A/S Østbirk Bygningsindustri
• Skærbæk Bygningsindustri A/S
• Velterm A/S
• Thyregod Bygningsindustri A/S

France

• KH-France
• SK-France
• VELSOL France
• VKR France

A limited number of employees will return to work at each of the above locations. Precautionary measures will remain in place and be heightened as needed to safeguard the health of employees who return to work and to also protect suppliers and partners that they interact with.

The VELUX Group will continue to monitor the development of the Corona (COVID-19) virus spread and the resultant impact on sales and supply and will take additional measures accordingly. The health and well-being of employees remains top priority, plus our societal duty to assist in preventing the spread of the virus, while securing deliveries to our customers.

Read about other Corona virus preventive measures that we have taken in our global organisation.

• A special VELUX Corona virus task force monitors the situation closely.
• We have reinforced a global company policy for all employees who can work from home to do so. The policy includes external workers on our sites.
• We have reinforced a global travel policy that bans all business travel.
• All employees having travelled to an area characterised as high-risk (Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs) for private reasons are asked to work from home for a period of 14 days upon their return.
• VELUX travel policies also concern all external workers, e.g. consultants, working at VELUX premises.
• We have introduced an internal 24-7 hotline for employees.
• We have reinforced high hygienic standards for all employees and cleaning personnel.
• Employees living and working in special risk areas follow guidelines from local authorities.
• We currently do not allow external visitors to enter our facilities without special permission.
• We request logistic service providers (drivers) to call upon arrival.
• Personnel in contact with drivers (document handling etc.) follow strict hygienic regulations.
• Drivers’ access to VELUX areas is restricted to a minimum and to designated spaces.
• Local task forces are in place and contingency plans are continuously evaluated to ensure that we can keep servicing our customers.

In regards to handling a physical product (including VELUX products), the World Health Organisation assesses that the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low, and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.

The situation is constantly evolving and the VELUX Group is updating measures accordingly.

Let the light in 
Around 5% of the world’s population is, according to the Lighting Research Center in the US, hit by some sort of depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD)¹, characterized by recurrent depressive episodes in the autumn and winter.  

While the cause for feeling blue or depressed is not yet fully uncovered, studies in the past 20 years have documented how exposure to bright light significantly affects our wellbeing and can help reduce the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder². Symptoms of SAD can be increased feeling of depression, reduced interest in various activities, sleepiness and irritability, and increased appetite and consequent weight gain³.  

Something as simple as pulling your curtains back and pulling up your blinds can let more light into your home. Also, pay attention to when you shut them again: wait until the sun has fully set or they can deprive you of what little sunshine your home is getting at this time of year. During work hours, ensure to work close by a window, as they provide at least as much light as a light box, also used in some parts of the world as treatment of SAD². 

Transform spaces If you don’t have enough light coming into your home, you might want to consider a more permanent solution. Whether you want to improve an existing room or create new space and maximize the amount of sunlight coming into your home.

When thinking about adding an extension to your home, it’s important to consider the function of this space and how you best can maximize it. By placing a roof window over a kitchen table or work top, you can transform this space, making it enjoyable when preparing meals and ensure you’re exposed to natural light, or for children completing their homework. 

For those whose renovation plans are focused on an existing room in the home then designing with light in mind can also have a transformative power. Think about the direction the room faces and position seating in places where the light is most likely to fall. Adding another window is always worth considering if possible. If a roof window isn’t an option, VELUX sun tunnels are also a great alternative. 

Sources

[1] Lighting Research Center: https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/dr_health.asp

[2] Wehr et al. (1991). https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/dr_health.asp

[3] Wirz-Justice et al. ”Natural’ light treatment of seasonal affective disorder” (1995). https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/dr_health.asp

During Søren Bjerre-Nielsen's term of office, the VELUX Group has experienced stable growth and with VELUX Commercial, a new business area which offers skylight products for large buildings, like schools, industrial and commercial buildings, the way is paved for continued growth. The VELUX Group strengthened its commercial activities through the recently acquired companies American Wasco, Danish Vitral and German JET-Group.

Søren Bjerre-Nielsen, 67-years old, continues as Chairman of the Board of Directors of VKR Holding A/S, of which the VELUX Group constitutes most activities.

Jørgen Jensen, 51-years old, was elected chairman of VELUX A/S on December 5. He has served on the Board of Directors since 2018 as Vice Chairman.

Jørgen Jensen retired in September this year as CEO of WS Audiology (formerly Widex) to pursue a board career. In addition to the chairmanship of VELUX A/S, he is a member of the Maersk Container Industry Advisory Board as well as a member of the board of directors of 3Shape and Weibel.
 

Since the acquisition of JET, Vitral and Wasco last year, a lot of work has been done to integrate these operations with VELUX Modular Skylights in a new division in the VELUX Group, called VELUX Commercial.
 

About Nicolas Limbach

Nicolas Limbach comes to the VELUX Group from a position as Managing Director of Rockpanel, which is an international subsidiary of the ROCKWOOL Group. During his career, he has gained industry knowledge within electronics, utilities and building materials, covering products, projects and service business models. Nicolas is of French and German origin, is 47 years old, and lives in Denmark with his family.
 

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The jury made the following remarks about the award to VELUX:

“Since 1941, the VELUX window has transformed architecture by enabling healthy and comfortable living under the roof. Every day, it brings daylight and fresh air to work, life and play, worldwide.

The essence of the Danish Design Award is to celebrate the difference design makes, in other words services and products that make a true impact. The VELUX window has redefined architecture since it entered the market in 1941. It has stood the test of time by adapting to new technology, while still keeping the design simple and accessible for everyone. VELUX windows change and improve our indoor spaces by increasing light and air. It is ubiquitous and well-known across the world. It is the iPhone of windows.”

The prestigious award was presented to VELUX at a ceremony in Copenhagen on May 13. For more information visit Danish Design Award's webpage.

The VELUX Group has been the market leader in the residential market for roof windows for more than 75 years. The VELUX Group’s first step into the commercial (non-residential) market was in 2012 when it launched the VELUX Modular Skylight (VMS) system. Today, the strategy is to develop a leading position in this business area through organic growth and acquisitions.

The commercial market consists of two main segments:

• An architectural glazing segment, which has a greater focus on design, with architects playing a significant role in selecting glass or acrylic glazing solutions, and
• An industrial flat roof segment, which consists almost entirely of acrylic solutions, such as domes or continuous roof lights (CRLs).

The two segments vary significantly in their target customer groups and sales processes. The VELUX VMS business has a strong presence in the architectural glazing segment while JET has a leading market position in the industrial flat roof segment.

“We look forward to becoming part of the VELUX Group and we see a lot of growth potential and possibilities to strengthen our European business to the benefit of our customers and employees,” says Ralf Dahmer, CEO of JET-Group. Mark Wetzels, Partner at Egeria, is also pleased about the transaction: “I am impressed by the VELUX Group and confident this combination will be good for both companies, their employees and their offering to the market.

“With the acquisition of JET-Group we immediately become one of the leading players in the commercial market in Europe and will begin to merge our VMS operations with the JET-Group to build a new commercial division, which can drive further growth in this market. We also see opportunities to improve JET’s wholesale business by selling some products through the VELUX distribution network, which will also bring more business to our dealer partners. VELUX has always focused on providing daylight and fresh air to create better living and working environments, and the acquisition of JET helps us gain scale and extend our business into a whole new market segment,” says David Briggs, CEO of the VELUX Group.

The acquisition must be approved by the competition authorities in Germany and Austria before it can be completed. The companies will not disclose further information about the transaction until final approval is granted.

Pending approval and subject to completion of the acquisition of JET-Group, JET products will continue to be sold under the JET brand and through the existing organisation, while VELUX will continue to sell VMS products until customers are familiar with the change of ownership and a structured transition to the VELUX brand can be made and communicated to the market. Synergies are expected from developing common functions and key accounts across the two organisations, which will form the basis for a new VELUX commercial division.

VELUX has been assisted in the transaction by EY Corporate Finance and Dentons and Egeria has had Houlihan Lokey and Allen & Overy as advisors.

The legal decision can be read here at the EU Commission’s Competition website.

VELUX ACTIVE with NETATMO - an integrated system in one kit - addresses increasing global demand for smarter, healthier homes. With this new product, VELUX enters the fast-growing smart home market with a solution going beyond simple convenience to creating better and healthier indoor living conditions in homes around the world.

Built on the newest smart-sensor technology, developed in collaboration with French tech company and smart-home leader Netamo, the VELUX ACTIVE smart-home system integrates the newest smart sensor technology and thus thinks and acts on the consumer’s behalf. Smart sensors monitor the temperature, humidity and CO2 concentration inside the home which activates the system to automatically control the roof windows.

It is the first smart-home system launched within the global window business that succeeds in combining – in one solution – a smartphone app, an indoor climate sensor, a departure switch and an internet gateway run by advanced algorithms controlling the fully-automated operation of both roof windows, blinds and shutters to improve indoor climate and prevent overheating.

It is a system designed on science-based indoor climate parameters in joint collaboration with VELUX engineers and Netatmo tech experts.

The system comes with its own app allowing people to manage their entire indoor climate control system according to personal needs and external weather data via a few touches on their phone.

For customers with an iPhone and iPad, the smart-home system also connects with Apple’s smart-home app Apple Home, enabling homeowners for the first time ever to operate their roof windows, blinds and shutters using voice-control assistant Siri.

Smart algorithms manage your indoor climate for you
Sensors placed in the room register when it is either too hot or too humid or when the concentration of CO2 is too high and sends this information to the system’s gateway in order to rectify the situation. The indoor data is then processed along with weather data in a gateway, using advanced algorithms to calculate if the indoor climate can be improved by opening the roof window or rolling down blinds or shutters to prevent overheating.

With this new system, VELUX has moved the roof window from being a stationary product to an interactive, intelligent unit with the potential to constantly evolve through developing further algorithms to control the system.

“This is the first version of our smart-home system, which we will continue to develop based on feedback from users. By virtue of its digital nature, we’re able to constantly improve it, which means users as an add-on automatically receive the newest upgrades and added functions, as we advance the software,” continued Bang.

Smart homes are the future
​Worldwide, the smart-home market is currently valued at around $31.4 billion and predicted to grow to around $53.45 billion by 2022 (Statista 2018). By plugging roof windows into the ‘smart’ world and creating a solution that is compatible with various smart-home platforms, as well as connecting with other smart products and apps, VELUX has created a solution which will strengthen its consumer relevance in the years to come.

VELUX hopes to significantly increase sales of its motorised windows following the release of this new system as tech-savvy consumers flock to own the latest technology for their home.

Healthier indoor climate drives consumers 
The rising number of unhealthy homes is another strong driver behind The VELUX Group’s strategic move into the smart home marketplace.

With one out of six Europeans living in unhealthy buildings, characterised by damp, lack of daylight, inadequate heating during the winter or overheating during the summer (Healthy Homes Barometer 2017), there is a huge potential for renovating the existing building stock – VELUX ACTIVE offers a solution to these issues.

Modern-day living has turned us into an indoor generation, spending (according to World Health Organisation) up to 90 percent our time indoors, making the air we breathe just as important as the food we eat or the water we drink. However, few people are aware that indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outside, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. In a recent worldwide YouGov survey, 8 out of 10 Americans and Europeans stated they were unaware that indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air.

Another survey also highlighted a perception gap between the recommended ventilation requirements for a modern-day home and consumers’ understanding of adequate home ventilation. 82 percent of Europeans believe that they ventilate their homes a lot but, in reality, only 40 percent ventilate for the recommended two to four times a day. VELUX ACTIVE offers a solution to insufficiently ventilated homes with its automatic regulation of indoor climate and airing intervals.

By offering an intuitive solution to improving the indoor comfort of millions of people’s homes, VELUX is future proofing the business for years to come with a truly innovative product, making homes healthier.

EHF FINAL4 2018 kick-off

The VELUX EHF FINAL4 2018 kicks off in Cologne, Germany on May 26-27. The four teams participating in the final are Paris SG, Montpellier HB, HBC Nantes, HC Vada and around 20,000 handball fans will attend the matches.

EHF sponsorship until 2020

The VELUX Group and EHF Marketing GmbH, the marketing arm of the European Handball Federation, started a co-operation in 2010, which was extended in 2015 for an additional five years. Since 2010 more than 25,000 VELUX business partners have attended matches.

Watch the highlights from last year's championship

Wasco Products Inc, known as Wasco Skylights, has manufacturing facilities in Wells, Maine and Reno, Nevada and a network of independent sales representatives throughout the United States. VELUX has manufacturing facilities in Greenwood, S.C. and a sales office in Fort Mill, S.C.Wasco’s broad product offering for the commercial market, manufacturing facilities, and strong nationwide sales network will provide synergies and opportunities for VELUX in the U.S, which has a strategy to strengthen its presence in the commercial market.

About Wasco Products Inc.
Founded in 1935, Wasco has a heritage of innovation, bringing new products to market in anticipation of changing energy requirements and design needs. The company’s diverse commercial product line includes fully customisable metal-framed skylight systems, energy efficient Lumira® Aerogel insulated acrylic dome skylights, barrel vault skylights and multi-layer polycarbonate panel skylight solutions.

For more information about VELUX America, visit www.veluxusa.com.

For more information about Wasco Products Inc, visit www.wascoskylights.com.

• Energy and climate
• Zero-waste production
• Sustainable sourcing
• A safe and healthy workplace for all VELUX employees

Our main achievements in 2017 include:

• 34.2% reduction in carbon footprint in all VELUX factories compared to the 2007 baseline
• 97% of waste materials recycled in production
• 99.5% of wood used in VELUX windows in Europe comes from certified, sustainable forests
• 2.5 work-related accidents per one million working hours – five times lower than the comparable industry benchmark

In 2017, VELUX Management Group approved new CSR and Sustainability Policies. They support the UN Global Compact’s 10 principles and will strengthen our global risk management efforts in the future.

The VELUX Group strongly supports the global sustainability agenda; thus, we have sharpened our focus on contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by carefully selecting five targets to maximise our positive impact. The five targets are:

To read the report in full, visit our CSR & sustainability website.

From today, you will be able to see how daylight can reinvigorate and benefit your home on your iPhone or Android smartphone, as the global roof window leader’s app launches in the App Store and Google Play Store.

Built using new advanced gaming technology, this free tool enables you to experience the effect of daylight in a room and get an immersive experience through 360⁰ and virtual reality simulations.

Daylight is vital to our health and well-being. Yet many create areas in the home without considering the impact daylight can have.

MyDaylight is the first ever app that makes daylight tangible, giving you the ability to experiment with it, and understand how it can transform a living space.

You can design a real room in the home by easily selecting parameters such as floor dimensions, roof height and ceiling pitch and then customise further by adding windows, floor and wall finishes, the room’s location, and much more.

After approximately ten minutes, you will receive a personal digital simulation which can be viewed in 360⁰ or virtual reality, giving a life-like recreation of the room and the changing effects of daylight inside. It’s as easy as that!

To imagine and design with daylight in mind you simply:

1. Download the MyDaylight app from the App Store or Google Play Store

2. Configure your space by plotting in data, such as floor dimensions and roof pitch

3. Create different daylight designs by playing with the positioning and size of windows

4. Within minutes, you will receive a notification that your personal daylight render is ready (expect around 1 minute for loading of your simulation the first time you see it, as it loads a big data file)

5. With the rendering saved on your phone, you will be able to experience the room in both 360° and VR formats. By using VR goggles it will make you feel as if you were standing in the middle of the room you just created!

You can play with endless scenarios and designs and create as many simulations as you like. Time and imagination are the only limits.

The MyDaylight app is totally free of charge for everyone and available in the Apple App and Google Play Stores from today, Monday 29 January 2018 in Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Austria, Belgium and Slovenia, and on 30 Jan in Germany.

In February, it will be available in Poland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Spain and Hungary, and more countries are to follow later in the year.

A version for the US will be available later in the year.

David Briggs is a 25-year veteran of VELUX and its sister company Altaterra, and most recently worked as VELUX Group Senior Vice President for Sales. In this position, he was a member of the VELUX Management Group and played an important role in the company’s positive performance over the past two years. 

Formerly, Briggs has held a number of key management positions within the VELUX Group, including as General Manager of the sales company in Great Britain, VELUX Great Britain. He was also responsible for building VELUX’s sister company Altaterra from the ground up. Today, Altaterra has sales in over 30 countries. 

David Briggs is British, 52 years of age, has two children from his former marriage, and currently lives in Copenhagen with his partner, Anna

Jørgen Tang-Jensen has worked in the VELUX Group for his entire career. He started in 1981 as Manager of accessories, blinds and roller shutters and became Sales and Marketing Manager in 1989. Since 2001, he has been CEO of a company that today operates all over the world, with own companies in more than 40 countries and a strongly established position on its market.

With VKR’s 75th anniversary in 2016 and records in both turnover and profits under his belt, Jørgen and his team recently presented the strategy for the next four years to global senior management at a conference in Flims in Switzerland.

Søren Bjerre-Nielsen also took the opportunity to thank Jørgen Tang-Jensen for his great dedication and the excellent results he has consistently produced over many years. “Jørgen carries VELUX in his heart and we will miss him both as a person and as a source of inspiration,” declares Søren Bjerre-Nielsen.

However, Jørgen Tang-Jensen will not be cutting all ties with the Group – he is expected to join the Board of VKR Holding A/S at its next AGM in the spring of 2018 and become a candidate for the board of VILLUM FONDEN, the foundation that owns VKR Holding, in 2019.

His successor, David Briggs, began his career in the Group in VELUX France in 1991 and was appointed General Manager for the UK only three years later in 1994. In 2001, he was chosen to start VKR Holding’s newly established alternative distribution channel, Altaterra, that was to service the low-price and private label segment of the market. He had great success with this venture until 2015, when he returned to VELUX A/S as member of the VELUX Management Group, responsible for Sales, Product Development and Product Management.

“He has a very customer-oriented approach and is fuelled by a desire to raise the importance of daylight and fresh air in buildings. The owners, the Board and I look forward to following developments in how David develops the VELUX business for the future.”

The changing of the guard in the VELUX Group will be marked by a goodbye-and-welcome reception at the Group’s head office in Hørsholm on 13 December this year.

The owners of VELUX A/S have consequently decided to reinstate Søren Bjerre-Nielsen as chairman of the board as of today.

Highlights of 2016 report include:

• 98% of wood used in manufacturing sourced from certified, sustainable forests – three times higher than the global average and approaching our 2020 target of 99%

• 97% of production waste recycled or used for energy generation

• 1.9 work-related accidents per one million working hours – almost five times lower than a comparable industry benchmark

• 100% of manufacturing sites certified according to ISO 14001 (Environment), OHSAS 18000 (Occupational Health) ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 50001 (Energy)

The report also examines a broad range of initiatives and activities, including:

• VELUX’s work to promote better living environments for all, including the completion of its 27th demonstration building, a social housing renovation in Brussels, Belgium

• Ways in which the company is addressing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

• Charitable and non-profit grants donated by the VELUX Foundations totaling 155 million EURO.

View the full 2016 CSR Report here: www.velux.com/csrreport

The Circular Building has been designed and constructed as part of London Design Festival (17^th-25^th September 2016), an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world and a gateway to the international creative community.

The Circular Building tests the maturity of circular economy thinking in the built environment. Designing buildings where, at the end of life, all components and materials can be re-used, re-manufactured or re-cycled, profoundly alters design and construction priorities.

Each material in the Circular Building comes with its own QR code containing the information required to allow re-use, and together this information feeds into a Materials Database created using a cloud-based platform from which data has been fed to both the Circular Building website and the BIM model. Both the website and the BIM model can be viewed via QR codes displayed inside the Circular Building.

The Circular Building is open 19th September – 7th October 2016.

Bringing the internet of things into your home, the VELUX Group believes that home automation is crucial to the future development of the building industry and other industries selling products for our homes.

Furthermore, as healthier homes are more important than ever to consumers, proven by the VELUX Group’s Healthy Homes Barometer 2016, the group believes that smart homes will enable more people to take steps to improve the state of their home.

The VELUX Group expects to have its first product solutions integrated to the Apple HomeKit platform in the course of 2018.

For more information about the updates to Apple HomeKit, see the WWDC keynote presentations on 13^th, 14^th and 15^th June from San Francisco, California.

The five regional winners of Daylight in Buildings were:

Africa: Shelter Light by Fatai Osundiji, Emmanuel Ayoloto

The Americas: No parking... Let there be light by Enzo Piero Vergara Vaccia 

Asia & Oceania: Redistribution of Light by Kwang Hoon Lee, Hyuk Sung Kwon, Yu Min Park

Eastern Europe & the Middle East: Light Scattering Window by Kamil Głowacki, Marta Sowińska, Łukasz Gąska

Western Europe: Ceremonial Room Copenhagen by Eskild Pedersen

The five regional winners of Daylight Investigations were:

Africa: Light and Shadow by Ahmed Zorgui, Ala Eddin Noumi

The Americas: Automated Blind Study by Amir Nezamdoost, Alen Mahic, Malak Modaresnezhad

Asia & Oceania: Light for the Blind by Jiawen Li, Chenlu Wang, Jiebei Yang, Guiqiang Yao, Lushan Yao

Eastern Europe & the Middle East: A Quenchless Light by Anna Andronova

Western Europe: Hammershøi's Grammar by Nicholas Shurey

With close to 600 submitted projects from 57 countries, the competition displayed creative explorations on the theme of daylight from the world’s leading future architects. The regional winners of the International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture will now present their projects in competition for two overall prizes at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin on November 18, 2016. The ceremony will be livestreamed to iva.velux.com​​.

Jury meeting earlier this week

The award jury: Omar Gandhi, Christine Murray, Zbigniew Reszka, Francesco Veenstra and Per Arnold Andersen met from 27 – 28 June in Copenhagen to review close to 600 submitted projects from 57 countries and by the end of the second day, they agreed on ten regional winners.

Light of Tomorrow

The overall theme of the International VELUX Award 2016 is Light of Tomorrow. The award wants to inspire students of architecture to consider how to use sunlight and daylight as main sources of energy and light, and how to ensure the health and well-being of people who live and work in buildings.

Although some schools have CO2 levels between the recommended rates of 1,000 to 2,000 ppm, this study shows that many schools have levels which are in excess of 2,000 ppm, and in some tests, scientists have recorded readings of up to 6,000 ppm. Furthermore, a number of schools did not achieve a daylight factor of 3-5%, the recommended the level of daylight in classrooms.

Improved indoor climate = improved performance

The study also reports the impact of an optimum indoor environment on the learning capabilities of school children. The researchers found that improving ventilation rates, reducing the CO2 concentration and increasing access to daylight in classrooms improves pupils’ performance in the sense of speed, higher levels of attention and concentration and lower rates of absenteeism. For example, the researchers came to the conclusion that the speed at which pupils work can be increased by up to 15% by simply increasing the amount of fresh air into the room.

However, the benefits of higher levels of achievement in education are not confined to the individuals. When comparing the educational levels between European countries, using a conditional test score based on PISA tests, the study shows that a correlation to the conditional growth within those countries exists. The researchers report that an increase of school childrens’ performance by 2.8% would lead to a 6.7% - 9.5% increase in the conditional economic growth of the country (based on GDP per capita).

How to improve the indoor environment in schools

The report concludes with a number of ways to improve the indoor climate in schools. Firstly, as most schools in Europe have been designed for natural ventilation, more time should be set aside for airing during lessons. However, mechanical ventilation systems, such as motorized windows, can also ensure an optimum level of air quality without changing the behaviour of teachers in lessons. By monitoring relative humidity, CO2 concentrations and temperature, the system simply switches itself on when fresh air is needed. Lastly, hybrid ventilation systems, such as fan assisted natural ventilation, have now been developed which combine the advantages of both natural and mechanical ventilation. The report also notes that when it comes to daylight, skylights can increase the incidence of natural light by up to 50%.

The VELUX Group’s renovation projects at Langebjerg School and Endrup School are perfect examples of how more access to daylight and fresh air can transform the learning environment. For example, at Langebjerg School, the teachers greatly appreciated the installation of VELUX INTEGRA® Roof Windows, as ventilation to the upper part of the classrooms now prevents the uncomfortable drafts that occur when façade windows are opened to air out the rooms. 

The Fraunhofer IBP white paper, ‘Impact of the indoor environment on learning in schools in Europe,’ is now available for download. 

The Healthy Homes Barometer study surveyed 14,000 people across 14 European countries in order to achieve a better understanding of how Europeans’ homes affect their health.

How to diagnose an unhealthy home

The study points to five characteristics of European homes that determine whether our homes are healthy or unhealthy. They are: good sleeping conditions; comfortable indoor temperatures; sufficient amounts of daylight; fresh air; and healthy levels of humidity.

The evidence is clear. Europeans who live in cold houses or have mould in their home are approximately 50% more likely to suffer from illnesses like nose or throat infections. Meanwhile, if the home allows for a good night’s sleep, Europeans are 50% more likely to feel they have good health and feel energized. Having enough daylight in the home almost halves the risk of being low on energy, while people who never air out their homes are twice as likely to suffer from low energy levels compared to Europeans who do so two-to-four times daily.

These characteristics are related to both home construction and habits of everyday use.

Health and home satisfaction go hand in hand

Healthy homes are good not only for our bodies, but they also lift our sense of home satisfaction. For example, good sleep quality, lots of fresh air, plenty of daylight and appropriate levels of humidity are all amongst the top contributors to home satisfaction. Good indoor climate even trumps the expense of energy costs when looking at what creates most home satisfaction.

Raising quality of life – saving society billions

The potential for lifting European health and quality of life are huge. In the study, one in four feel their health is below par, one in four never feel energized and half of all Europeans suffer from sore throats and runny noses.

Data from the UK Office of National Statistics show that 27 million working days were lost in 2013 in the UK alone due to minor illnesses like coughs, colds or flu. Preventing these could save society billions and increase productivity.

The results of the study will be presented at the 2^nd Healthy Buildings Day conference on April 20^th in Brussels, Belgium.

The consequences of unhealthy homes in Europe

• Europeans who live in cold houses are approximately 50% more likely to suffer from nose and throat infections

  78% of Europeans live in houses that were too cold at some point during the last winter. 15% report this to be the case all or most of the time.

• Europeans whose home allows for a good night’s sleep are 50% more likely to feel they have good health and are energized

  71% of Europeans do not have optimal sleeping conditions in their home. One in three report their sleep quality within the last four weeks as either very bad or fairly bad.

• Europeans who never air out their homes are twice as likely to suffer from low energy levels compared to Europeans who air out 2-4 times daily

  59% of Europeans do not air out at least twice a day.

• Having enough daylight in the home almost halves the risk of being low on energy

  40% of Europeans who lack daylight in their living room never or very seldom feel energized. If daylight levels are appropriate, the share drops to 23%.

• Europeans who have mould in their home are 50% more likely to suffer dryness or irritation of the throat

  Among Europeans with mould in their home, up to 60% experience dryness or irritation of the throat. For Europeans who do not have this problem the share is 40%.

Download the Healthy Homes Barometer 2016 at http://emagcreator.com/VELUX/HHB_2016/

This year, the overall winners of the International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture will be announced at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin on 18 November 2016 and all winners will be featured in the November issue of the Architectural Review magazine.

Regional prizes and overall prizes

The International VELUX Award is an ‘open idea’ competition and is organised globally in close collaboration with the International Union of Architects and Architectural Review. The award is organized in two stages: in the first phase, regional prizes will be given to projects from 1) Western Europe, 2) Eastern Europe and the Middle East, 3) the Americas, 4) Asia and Oceania and 5) Africa. In the grand finale, prizes will be presented to two overall global winners at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin.

A diverse and international jury comprised of renowned architects and architectural media has the task of evaluating the dynamic daylight-inspired projects from students from around the world to elect the winners.

Light of Tomorrow

The overall theme of the International VELUX Award 2016 is Light of Tomorrow. The award wants to inspire students of architecture to consider how to use sunlight and daylight as main sources of energy and light, and how to ensure the health and well-being of people who live and work in buildings.

Agility and readiness

The VELUX Group has sales companies in 40 countries and an overall picture of growth is appearing, although it varies from country to country. The Group is experiencing positive development in the building sector as a whole.

Innovation drives growth

In particular, The VELUX Group sees potential in the innovative VELUX Modular Skylight (VMS). The product provides standardised roof windows in modules which can be installed in industrial, commercial and educational buildings, as well as hotels and conference centres. The first ventures into the VMS initiative were made in 2009, with VMS products now being sold on eight European markets, China and the USA. Considerable growth in sales of VMS is still expected, as well as expansion into still more markets.

Blinds and other accessories are another area of strong growth and in which collaboration have proved successful – most recently with Disney and the Star Wars & VELUX Galactic Night Collection.

Expectations for 2016

The VELUX Group has positive expectations for 2016 and thereafter, despite the several geopolitical conditions that could affect financial growth in its markets.

Renovation concepts, that create better homes in terms of energy efficiency and indoor climate could drive market developments and act as a financial catalyst for European economies. The VELUX Group wants very much to support this development and will be launching its 26^th demo project – the flexible renovation of a building in a social housing complex in Brussels. Its objective is to show that cutting CO2 emissions from buildings can be achieved with a modest budget. The local city council has decided to renovate a further 84 buildings to the VELUX model, which could be replicated in renovation projects throughout Europe.

But there are also factors that could put the brakes on the expected positive development of the market.

The name VELUX comes from “ventilation” (VE) and “light” (LUX, Latin for light), two vital elements in any comfortable, healthy building. The first roof window developed in 1941 still forms the basis for today’s VELUX product range and the idea of “bringing light to life” still drives the company, as it has for the last 75 years. Villum Kann Rasmussen defined himself a “daylight engineer."

A vibrant company investing in innovation
The VELUX Group may be 75 years old, but it remains a modern, dynamic company, embracing change and investing heavily in innovation. The new generation of VELUX roof windows have set new standards for windows’ energy balance. In fact, in 2015 the VELUX Group saw its best ever results.

Products useful for society part of the business formula
Engagement in society is deeply rooted in the VELUX DNA. 50 years ago, the company’s founder defined the “Model Company Objective”. In essence, this means that the VELUX Group’s main goal is to create value for society, customers, suppliers and employees by behaving as an exemplary company in all areas.

The VELUX Group is owned by the VELUX FOUNDATIONS, and donates most of its profits for research, environmental and cultural purposes. In 2015, the foundations made 545 donations totaling just above €111 million.

The celebration
The 75^th anniversary will be marked throughout 2016 with a range of activities celebrating the idea of bringing daylight and fresh air into people’s lives, and on April 1^st the grand celebration will be marked internally within the VELUX Group.

Light of Tomorrow

The overall theme of the International VELUX Award is Light of Tomorrow. The award seeks to inspire students of architecture to consider how to use sunlight and daylight as main sources of energy and light, and how to ensure the health and well-being of people who live and work in buildings. A crucial challenge is how to transform the existing building stock, with strategic use of daylight as a key driver for change.

Learn more about the International VELUX Award and register here 

Impressions from the International VELUX Award 2014 on 30 October at the Semper Depot in Vienna, Austria.

The Rostov factory solely manufactures products for the markets in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Products for those markets will in the meantime be supplied by the VELUX Group’s other European factories. The sales companies in the three countries will not be affected by the changes.

Moreover, the intention is to consolidate the Group’s plastics production at fewer factories, among them the factory in Gniezno, Poland. So the plan is to close down production of plastics components in Thyregod. Window production at the Thyregod facility will continue.

Overall, 83 employees in Russia and 65 employees in Thyregod will be affected by the planned changes.

Negotiations in Thyregod are expected to be concluded within the next month.