Skylights bring natural light deep into modern homes and extensions. They brighten living spaces and open plan areas in ways that vertical glazing cannot achieve. For most of the year this natural light feels perfect. However, modern insulated glazing units often struggle with summer heat. They deliver strong U values for winter insulation, yet their g values for keeping heat out are usually poor by design. Manufacturers create this compromise so homeowners can enjoy passive heat gain in winter. As a result, many homeowners experience excessive heat gain in summer and later regret not choosing a solar glass option with a lower g value.
Modern skylights use low emissivity coatings and argon filled cavities to keep heat inside your home. These coatings work well in winter, but they do not reject solar energy effectively. When sunlight hits the glass, shortwave energy enters the glazing system and becomes longwave heat inside the home. The heat then struggles to escape because the coatings are designed to retain warmth. Consequently, the home overheats.
Skylights And Passive Winter Heat Gain
Homeowners reach a clear crossroads at this point.
They must choose between an automated shading system that still allows passive winter heat gain or an always switched on solar film that improves the g value of the glass. Automated shading gives homeowners control and preserves winter benefits. Solar window film changes the glazing performance permanently and reduces summer heat gain every day of the year.
With clear and transparent information, homeowners can choose a solution that aligns with the comfort levels they want, the performance they expect and the budget they plan to invest.
Comparing Skylight Solutions for Heat Gain Reduction
Understanding how each solution performs helps homeowners make informed decisions. The chart above shows the performance of the main skylight solutions at a glance. Each option has strengths and limitations, and each one suits different budgets and expectations.
Artemis External Skylight Blind
Artemis External Skylight Blind is the ultimate solution for skylight roof blinds. It delivers the highest performance by stopping heat before it enters the glazing system and removing more than 90% of the heat gain entering the home. Because Artemis operates only when needed, homeowners keep the winter benefits of a high g value. This makes Artemis the most effective and most balanced choice for comfort throughout the year.
The Artemis external skylight blind is typically manufactured 140mm wider and 400mm longer on the draw. This
Athena Internal Tensioned Roof Blind
Athena is a tensioned internal blind using dimensionally stable roller fabrics.
When paired with the correct solar‑reflecting fabrics such as Solaye Sunshadow Alu or Soltis Touch Jasmine, Athena delivers 50 to 60% heat‑gain reduction. As a result, fabric selection becomes critical. When homeowners choose the right fabric, the system performs exceptionally well. However, poor fabric choices can drop performance into single figures, which is why the fabric conversation matters just as much as the blind itself. Only the Toughest Fabrics Earn a Place in Athena Electric Roof Blind Systems – WindowTreat
Furthermore, if a supplier avoids discussing fabric performance, they are not an expert in this field. Athena performs reliably when paired with the correct technical fabrics, and it works well for homeowners who want a premium internal solution with predictable comfort improvement.
Honeycomb Sky Duette Style Fabrics
Honeycomb fabrics offer a cost effective alternative to tensioned roller systems. They can cost two to three times less.
Blackout versions contain a foil inside the cell and have a white outer face that faces the skylight glass. This design gives high solar reflectance and performance similar to the best tensioned fabrics. However, the blind stacks to one end of the skylight and is unprotected. Dust builds up on the white outer face and reduces solar reflectance quickly. As a result, performance drops over time.
Honeycomb dimout fabrics do not contain the reflecting foil. They allow light through and deliver only around 15 percent heat gain reduction. They work well for privacy or glare control but not for heat management. Homeowners should understand this difference before choosing a honeycomb solution.
Electric Skylight Blinds
Electric blinds offer precise control. Homeowners can operate them manually with a remote handset or automate them with Somfy sensors via the Tahoma Hub. This approach keeps the g value high in winter and low in summer. It provides comfort and energy efficiency throughout the year. Electric blinds also allow homeowners to respond to changing weather conditions.
Solar Control Window Films
Solar control window films reduce heat gain by lowering the g value of the glass. Internal films often struggle on modern glazing because the coatings and cavities are designed to keep heat inside the home. The strongest internal option is 3M All Seasons at 42 percent, which still falls short of the performance homeowners usually want for skylights.
Exterior films offer a better balance between visible light levels and heat gain reduction. However, they cannot bond to exterior self cleaning coatings. These coatings are hydrophilic and designed to rinse dirt away when it rains. Because the surface repels contaminants, the adhesive on exterior films cannot attach to it.
Self-Cleaning Exterior Coatings
If homeowners are unsure whether their skylight glass has a self cleaning coating, WindowTreat supplies surface test pens that make the check simple. The pen shows whether the surface is hydrophobic, which means no coating, or hydrophilic, which means the skylight has a self cleaning coating.
When the skylight does not have a self cleaning coating, homeowners can choose the 3M Prestige Exterior range. Once installed, the glass gains the same lotus effect that self cleaning coatings provide. The Prestige exterior films remove more than 90 percent of near infrared heat, which is the uncomfortable radiant heat that drives overheating.
Our Film Recommendation For Skylights
The recommended sweet spot for skylights is 3M Prestige 50 Exterior, which delivers 56% heat gain reduction with minimal change to daylight levels. Prestige 90 Exterior offers 17% improvement with no visible tint to the glass. Prestige 70 Exterior provides 41% improvement and remains virtually undetectable once installed.
By contrast, the interior version, 3M Prestige 70 Interior, is often offered as an easier installation. It is an expensive mistake. It delivers single‑figure performance on modern skylights and does not justify its cost.
If your skylight glazing has a self-cleaning coating then the only real viable option is 3M All Seasons interior.
Why Homeowners Need Transparent Information
WindowTreat believes homeowners deserve clear information. Performance matters. Budget matters. Comfort matters. The second part of this article will walk through a real example with transparent costing. This helps homeowners make informed decisions with confidence and clarity.
Cost Analysis for Improving Comfort Across Several Skylights
The Skylights Areas
- Skylight RL-01 3000mm x 1210mm
- Skylight RL-02 3000mm x 1210mm
- Skylight RL-03 2850mm x 1940mm
- Skylight RL-04 2850mm x 1940mm
- Skylight RL-05 2850mm x 1940mm
- Skylight RL-06 3092mm x 1637mm
Breaking Down Automating Shading Costs
- Manufacturing Survey for automated shading systems £650 inclusive of VAT
- Installation Costs £1250 inclusive of VAT per day
- Artemis Skylight Exterior Blinds 2 days installation
- Athena Tensioned Interior Blinds 3 days installation
- Honeycomb Sky Interior Blinds 2 days installation
| Framed Skylights | Artemis Skylight Exterior | Athena Tensioned Interior | Athena Solar Upgrade | Honeycomb Sky Interior | Optional Marketing Discount |
| RL-01 3000mm x 1210mm | £4600 | £3275 | £750 | £1900 | (£300) |
| RL-02 3000mm x 1210mm | £4600 | £3275 | £750 | £1900 | (£300) |
| RL-03 2850mm x 1940mm | £4350 | £3650 | £750 | £2000 | (£300) |
| RL-04 2850mm x 1940mm | £4350 | £3650 | £750 | £2000 | (£300) |
| RL-05 2850mm x 1940mm | £4350 | £3650 | £750 | £2000 | (£300) |
| RL-06 3092mm x 1637mm | £4800 | £3650 | £750 | £2150 | (£300) |
| Product Totals incl. VAT | £27050 | £21,150 | £4,500 | £11,950 | (£1800) |
| Survey | £650 | £650 | N/A | £650 | N/A |
| Installation | £2500 | £3750 | N/A | £2500 | N/A |
| Totals incl. VAT | £30,200 | £25,550 | £4,500 | £15.100 | (£1800) |
The Option of Marketing Discounts
You can reduce the cost of your electric skylight shading by taking part in our marketing scheme. They are optional but if you take part, you receive a meaningful discount while helping other homeowners make informed decisions about improving comfort in their own homes.
We lower a small amount of margin on these high‑performance systems in return for real photos, videos and genuine homeowner feedback that helps future customers understand how the solutions perform in everyday use.
The process is simple. You send a set of photos and videos of your installation via WeTransfer followed by a 30‑minute scheduled video conversation with Steve, our General Manager.
We record a short section of your feedback so future homeowners can hear directly from someone who has already improved their home comfort. Steve says this is the favourite part of his job. He loves discussing your finished project and hearing how much more comfortable your home feels. Your experience gives future homeowners clarity and confidence when researching similar challenges.
Customer Video Feedback Example
The example video below was part of Helen and Michael’s optional marketing scheme discount.
Their relaxed feedback helps future homeowners understand how these systems perform in real homes. It is not pinewood‑studio quality. Instead, it is a natural discussion directed by Steve our general manager, guiding viewers through the project and the comfort improvements achieved.
Helen and Michael talk about the external Artemis Roof Blind installed to their large skylight. Helen explains how the solution transformed their living space and helped her fall back in love with her home. This kind of honest, real‑world feedback gives future homeowners confidence when researching similar challenges.
You can find the full article in the supporting links at the bottom of this article.
Breaking Down Solar Control Window Film Costs
When comparing window films for skylights, cost, heat reduction, light levels and reflectivity all matter.
The 3M Prestige Exterior Series stands out because it uses advanced nano‑technology with no metals or alloys. This matters for skylights because manufacturers such as 3M, SolarGard and Llumar do not provide a warranty on metallised exterior films when the glazing is near‑horizontal. Anything below 20 degrees falls into this category, which means products like Silver 50 Exterior cannot be safely specified.
The Prestige Exterior Series is different.
It carries a full 7‑year manufacturer warranty on skylight applications, and WindowTreat matches this with our own workmanship commitment. In practice, faults in the film are extremely rare. The workmanship commitment is what protects homeowners, ensuring you are fully covered should any issues occur in the future.
We can only offer this level of protection because our installers take the additional time required to prepare the skylight glazing and framework correctly. The cleaning and preparation are just as important as the application and is far above the industry standard. This careful approach ensures the film bonds properly, performs as intended and delivers long‑term comfort.
| 3M Prestige 20 exterior | 3M Prestige 40 exterior | 3M Prestige 50 exterior | 3M Prestige 70 exterior | 3M Prestige 90 exterior | 3M Prestige 70 interior | 3M All Seasons | |
| Installed Cost £ incl. VAT | £8250 | £8250 | £8250 | £8250 | £4830 | £6980 | £4790 |
| Optional Marketing Discount | (£300) | (£300) | (£300) | (£300) | (£300) | (£300) | (£300) |
| Heat Gain Reduction | 70% | 60% | 56% | 41% | 17% | 8% | 42% |
| Visible Light Retained | 23% | 47% | 57% | 80% | 99% | 78% | 35% |
| Exterior Reflection Daytime | 6% | 7% | 9% | 12% | 15% | 13% | 49% |
| Interior Reflection Night-time | 12% | 13% | 14% | 14% | 16% | 11% | 61% |
| Winter Heat Loss Reduction | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 9% |
| UV Rejected | 99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% |
Take a deeper dive into the above Best Solar Control Films for modern skylights.
Final Word
As you reach the end of this guide, the choice between skylight solutions becomes clearer. Each option behaves differently, and understanding those differences helps you select the right balance of comfort, performance and budget.
Ultimately, every skylight project reaches the same crossroads. Homeowners must choose between automated shading that preserves winter heat gain or solar control films that permanently improve the g value of the glass. With transparent information, you can move forward confidently and choose the solution that delivers the comfort you want, the performance you expect and the value that fits your home.
Next Step
Visit Chris’s diary at the bottom of this article and book in a callback at a time that suits you best. It can be really useful to upload a couple of photos in advance.
He can also be reached through info@windowtreat.co.uk.
Supporting Links
Success Story: How External Shading Made Helen Fall In Love With Her Home Again – WindowTreat
Bernard and Agnes: Cooling Their Dream Extension in Bristol – WindowTreat
Success Story: Sharon’s Electric Roof Blinds Bring Comfort Back to Her Home – WindowTreat
Gail & Demetris I Artemis External Roof Blind I Customer Testimonial
Internal or External Shading for Large Modern Skylights? – WindowTreat
Best Solar Control Films for Modern Glazing: 3M Prestige Exterior Compared – WindowTreat
Most Roof Lantern Blinds Sag. Here’s Why.
Only the Toughest Fabrics Earn a Place in Athena Electric Roof Blind Systems – WindowTreat
Why Internal Solar Control Films Struggle on Modern Double Glazing – WindowTreat
Why 3M All Seasons 35 succeeds where other internal solar films fail – WindowTreat
