At our most recent Component Spotlight event, we welcomed FAKRO, a globally recognized innovator in skylight and roof window solutions, for an in-depth presentation that brought technical nuance, practical product knowledge, and a whole lot of Passive House geekery to the virtual stage.
Tomasz Glab, Operations and Technical Director at FAKRO America, guided the audience through the company’s comprehensive lineup of roof windows, skylights, and access solutions—many of which are ideally suited for Passive House projects.
"The key to Passive House is not just insulation—it’s airtightness,” Tomasz said. “Our roof windows and skylights are designed with that in mind, and that’s why we’ve pursued PHI certification for several of our products.”
A Global Brand with a High-Performance Mindset
Founded in 1991 in Poland, FAKRO now employs more than 4,000 people across 50 countries and is second only to Velux in worldwide market share. FAKRO’s bread and butter may be skylights and roof windows, but they see themselves as a company that specializes in innovation, and they have more than 180 individual patents to prove it.
"Our development team includes over 100 engineers,” Tomasz said. “They’re constantly iterating on performance—from better U-values to more durable flashing systems to condensation control,” Tomasz says.
FAKRO’s focus on innovation is illustrated by the sheer number of variations within their major product lines, which cover a host of roof access products that include attic ladders, flashings, and even membranes. The lines that we’ll cover in this post will be a bit more limited and include:
· Roof windows
· Skylights
· Blinds
To learn more about all of FAKRO’s products, check out the video from their Component Spotlight.
Though roof windows and skylights are very similar, the main difference between the two is that a roof window can be opened like a regular window on side hinges or it pivots at a fulcrum located in the center or top of the frame. In most cases, roof windows are not designed for flat roofs and are best suited for >15° pitched roofs.
"Slope is critical,” Tomasz explained. “Many of our products require a minimum slope of 15 degrees. We design for sloped roofs, not for flat roofs—unless it’s a specialty skylight like the DXW.”
Roof Windows
The most energy efficient models include the FTT U6, FTT U8, and FNP. The first two are designed for pitched roofs, while the FNP is a fixed window that can be installed on sloped or flat roofs.
FTT U8
The FTT U8 is a quadruple-pane center pivot window with tempered glass on the exterior. It is also a certified Passive House component that provides extraordinary U-values.
· Uw - = 0.58 W/m2K (0.1 Btu/ft²·h·°F)
· Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) = 0.48
Lead time for the FTT U8 is typically 8-10 weeks.
FTT U6
Similar to the FTT U8 is the FTT U6, which is a triple-pane model that comes in over 20 different dimensions.
· Uw - = 0.77 W/m2K (0.14 Btu/ft²·h·°F)
· SHGC = 0.50
Lead times can vary depending on the size of the window. More common window sizes (e.g., 21” x 38”) are usually in stock and readily available through 475.Supply. Other sizes may have lead times in the range of 8-10 weeks.
FNP – Fixed Roof Windows
Tomasz explained that many designers placed pivot windows in areas that could not be reached, so they were effectively fixed windows. This led them to design the FNP, which is fixed and comes in two models that are triple glazed: the P5 and U5.
The P5 model has laminated glazing for enhanced safety, which has made it one of the most FAKRO’s popular models in the US, but both are krypton-filled triple-glazed windows that deliver on performance.
P5
· Uw = 0.97 W/m2K (0.17 Btu/ft²·h·°F)
· SHGC = 0.20
U5
· Uw = 0.97 W/m2K (0.17 Btu/ft²·h·°F)
· SHGC = 0.20
On account of the popularity of the P5 model, windows can ship out in as little as 8 days. For the U5 model, lead times may be closer to 8-10 weeks.
