Are electric and solar roof windows worth it?

An electric roof window has a small motor in the frame that opens and closes the sash. It is controlled by a wall switch or a remote, and some can be linked to a home system. Mains-powered units need a cable run to the frame, which means chasing a wall or running conduit, and a connection by a qualified electrician. That wiring is part of the cost and the programme.

A solar version has a small photovoltaic panel on the frame and a battery, so no mains cable is needed. It is easier to fit in a finished loft, where adding a circuit would mean disturbing plaster and insulation. The trade-off is that it depends on daylight to charge, which suits a south or west slope more than a shaded north one, and the battery eventually needs replacing.

Both types usually carry a rain sensor option. When rain falls on the glass, the sensor closes the window by itself. Our guide to roof window costs covers the standard window price and what drives a job above it.

The strongest case is height. A roof window above a stairwell, a double-height void or a room with a steep ceiling may sit well out of reach, and a manual window there needs a long pole and a stretch. A motor removes that problem. It also suits owners with limited mobility, who may find a high handle or a pull cord hard to use.

A second case is ventilation. Hot air collects at roof level, and an opening window high in the slope lets it out. A motor with a timer or temperature link can open it when the room warms, which helps in summer. Our answer on whether you can fit a side-facing roof window mentions that the planning rule on openings is aimed at height, and an electric opener fits a window placed high.

A third case is a roof window left open during the day by a household that is often out. The rain sensor closes it without anyone there. It is not a substitute for a good flashing and a weathertight frame, but it is a useful backstop.

Per MyBuilder's 2026 roof window guide, a standard centre-pivot window costs about £305 and an electric one £420 to £590, with labour and fitting at £350 to £600 for standard jobs and scaffold near £500. All of that is national guide data, not a Supreme price list. The difference between a manual and an electric unit, then, is not huge on the window alone, but the wiring, the controls and the electrician add to it.

The solar version avoids the electrician's cable run, but the unit itself usually costs more than a manual window, and the guide does not give a separate figure for it. The only responsible answer is to say that it varies, and to price the specific window from a supplier after the survey, since specifications and prices change between model years.

The quote covers the window, the access, the electrical work and the making good, so you know what the motor involves before you commit to it.

A motor adds a part that can fail. Motors, sensors and control units wear, and a manual window has nothing to replace but a hinge or a handle. Batteries in solar units have a life, and the sensor can need cleaning. If a window fails shut it is usually fine, and if it fails open it is a problem, so ask what the fail-safe is on the model you choose.

There is also the glazing. The motor does not change the thermal rules: Table 4.2 of Approved Document L still sets the standard for an electric roof window in an existing home, 1.4 W/m²K as the top U-value, or Band B as the lowest Window Energy Rating, whatever drives the sash. Our answer on roof window U-values explains what to check on the label.

Electric work in a home is notifiable in some cases, and where it is we deal with the Building Regulations notification and explain what consent involves. We leave the electrical circuit to a qualified electrician and say so in the quote.

Ask three questions. Can you reach the window comfortably? If yes, a manual one is the sensible choice. Is the window high, hard to reach or one of several you want to operate together? Then electric, or solar if there is no easy way to run a cable. Does the room get plenty of daylight? Solar needs it to keep the battery charged.

Remember size too. A larger sash is heavier to open by hand and sometimes needs a motor to be practical; our guide to roof window sizes shows the standard range.

The survey covers the roof, the loft and the wiring route, with photographs of your roof to show what each option involves. A written quote follows, a 10-year workmanship guarantee in writing covers the finished installation, and the full service is on the skylights and roof windows page.