Skylights are overhead windows, often in a roof, that allow sunlight to filter inside any enclosed area; they are a great natural light option to artificial lighting solutions during the daytime. Skylights are usually covered with translucent or transparent material to allow light to pass through, while also protecting from extreme weather conditions. A Skylight is a great way to allow more light into your home through a flat or sloped window built into the roof structure for daylighting. Adding a skylight can almost immediately open up any room and make it lighter and brighter, adding a sunny, airy feeling.

Skylights come in many styles and designs. They can be rectangular, oval, triangular, or any odd shape and are perhaps the most beautiful way to enjoy the rain as you see it fall over your head. Windows cannot recreate the drama and magic that skylights can add to your house. These are like God’s own television screens! Moreover, skylights will usually bring in more light than windows and are a great alternative to artificial lighting.

Skylights have been used in housing and other architecture from time immemorial and these can never go out of style. Very often, skylights have been found in old churches. They add certain warmth and charm to the somber interiors. Skylights are used frequently in modern architecture, as well, and many modern malls, hospitals, restaurants, and other large, public places make use of skylights for natural daylight to light up common areas.

When selected carefully and installed, an energy-efficient skylight can help minimize heating, cooling, and lighting costs to very large extent.

Before installing a skylight in your home, you need to carefully evaluate what type of skylight will work best for you, considering your specific requirements and how to install it in a way that it improves your home's energy efficiency. It’s a sensible idea to evaluate the energy performance ratings of skylights based on the climate that you live in and the architectural design of your home. In the U.S., you can find labeled energy-efficient skylights, which tell you the minimum energy performance rating criteria by climate. The physical dimensions of the skylight also greatly affect the lux level and temperature of the space it is being used for. It is recommended that the skylight size should never be more than five percent of the floor area in rooms with many windows and not more than fifteen percent of the room's total floor area for spaces with very few windows.

Skylights on north-facing roofs provide cool illumination, while east-facing roofs provide maximum light and heat in the morning. West-facing skylights provide afternoon sunlight and heat. South-facing skylights provide more passive solar heat than any other location.