Industry application
Polycarbonate Sheet for Skylights and Daylighting
Skylights and daylighting panels need light transmission, UV protection, weather resistance and project-specific installation details. Bakway supplies polycarbonate sheet options for industrial, commercial and agricultural daylighting.
Polycarbonate skylight glazing: daylight without the heat and glare
A skylight is a trade-off between three things at once — daylight in, heat out, and no glare — and multiwall polycarbonate is specified by which of the three matters most for the space below. A warehouse wants maximum daylight; an office wants diffused light with low solar gain. The same product family serves both, but the sheet choice is different, and getting it wrong means either a dark space or an overheated one.
Light transmission by wall structure
Multiwall transmission drops as you add walls and thickness — the walls that give insulation also block light. Clear sheet passes the most daylight; opal or white sheet diffuses it and cuts glare and hotspots on the floor.
| Structure | Clear transmission | Opal transmission | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 mm twin-wall | ~78% | ~48% | Most daylight, least insulation |
| 10 mm triple-wall | ~62% | ~40% | Balanced daylight and insulation |
| 16 mm multiwall | ~54% | ~35% | Best insulation, dimmer |
Solar heat: the number that stops the space cooking
Daylight you want; the infrared heat that comes with it you often do not. Solar-control multiwall carries an IR-reflective tint or coating that lets visible light through while rejecting part of the solar heat — measured as solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). For a sunny climate or a large glazed area, specifying solar-control sheet is the difference between a comfortable space and one that needs extra air conditioning to offset the skylights.
Condensation and drainage
A skylight is a cold surface that daylight warms unevenly, so condensation forms inside the multiwall channels. As with any multiwall roof, the channels must run down the slope to drain, the top end is sealed with solid tape and the bottom with breather tape. An anti-drip (no-drop) surface coating stops condensation forming droplets that fall into the space below — worth specifying over occupied areas.
What to send for a skylight quote
- Roof opening size and slope
- Priority: maximum daylight, or diffused low-glare light
- Climate and whether solar-heat control is needed
- Whether the space below is occupied (drives anti-drip and diffusion)
- Framing system — glazing bars, or self-supporting span
Tell us the opening and what the space is for. We will recommend the wall structure, tint and surface treatment together, with transmission and heat figures, not just a thickness.
Material choice
Sheet options we normally discuss
| Option | Where it usually helps |
|---|---|
| Multiwall PC sheet | Roof lights needing insulation, light diffusion and lower weight. |
| Solid PC sheet | Clear skylight panels needing higher impact resistance. |
| Corrugated PC sheet | Daylighting strips matched to metal roof profiles. |
Quotation details
What we need before quotation
| RFQ item | Why we need it |
|---|---|
| Light target | Confirm clear, opal, bronze or diffused light requirement. |
| Roof detail | Send span, support spacing, profile and fixing method. |
| Environment | Confirm UV side, heat, wind, snow and chemical exposure. |
| Documentation | Confirm certificate, test report or project approval needs. |
Related pages
More ways we can support your project
FAQ
Skylights & Daylighting FAQ
Send an application RFQ
Share application, sheet type, thickness, size, quantity, drawing if available and destination country. We will review the material, processing and packing details before quoting.
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Full manufacturing capability, certifications and factory details: About Bakway.
Related polycarbonate products
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Polycarbonate Skylight Specification Table
| Application | Recommended structure | Thickness | Max span | U-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat roof skylight | Multiwall twin-wall | 10 mm | 1,000 mm | ~2.5 W/m²K |
| Pitched roof rooflight | Multiwall triple-wall | 16 mm | 1,200–1,400 mm | ~1.8 W/m²K |
| Walkable skylight | Solid | 16–20 mm | 700–800 mm | ~3.5 W/m²K |
| Atrium / large span | Multiwall 5-wall | 25 mm | 1,500–1,800 mm | ~1.2 W/m²K |
Specifications for standard daylighting projects. For snow regions or unusual spans, send your dimensions and we will confirm the structure and quote within 24 hours.
What thickness polycarbonate is best for a skylight?
For most skylights: 10 mm twin-wall (flat roofs, up to 1 m span) or 16 mm triple-wall (pitched roofs, up to 1.4 m span). Walkable skylights require 16–20 mm solid.
How much light does a polycarbonate skylight transmit?
Clear multiwall skylights transmit 65–80% of daylight depending on wall count; textured options diffuse light to 50–75% with less glare. UV is blocked by the coextruded layer.
Does polycarbonate skylight condensate?
Multiwall PC with anti-condensation treatment reduces internal dripping significantly. We can supply anti-drop coated sheets for high-humidity kitchens, pools and factories.