Shade control based on position of sun (like Lutron Hyperion)

[cnicholson]

Hello all. Our new home will have a lot of glass, with roller shades on every window.   I'm intrigued by the Lutron Hyperion system (for office buildings) that takes the sun's position into account (I think via celestial calculations and not light sensors) and adjusts shade position to avoid harsh direct sunshine as the day progresses.  Seems pretty cool.   Are there Control4 solutions that can replicate this? 

Info on the Lutron system:  https://www.lutron.com/TechnicalDocumentLibrary/367-1626.pdf

[Cyknight]

Not using a system similar to Hyperion (at this time).

Frankly though, Hyperion is not something you would use unless you're in a highrise (and high up) or you have quite the special home (ie full glass facing nested on a cliff). In your 'average' (multi-million dollar) home the actual effect of Hyperion would just be cool factor, not function.

You can certainly program based off of sunset/sunrise (and before/after) to mimic this to some degree, and add date ranges to adapt the exact timing to open/close shades. But you'd have to get the information for the sun height yourself and it won't be quite as accurate.

[cnicholson]

Cyknight: I get it.  Only looking for cool/wow factor, TBH.      I was just curious if there were existing drivers the would help implement this.  Not something I would likely do from scratch.  

[Cyknight]

Nothing I'm aware of.

 

MAYBE Darkskies could forecast some of this stuff - if so, @alanchow might be able to adapt his driver to forward the info.

[Elvis]

From Lutron... "NATURAL LIGHT OPTIMIZATION: Enable your blinds to automatically adjust the amount of tilt based on the position of the sun for maximum comfort throughout the day."

I told them I wanted this for my roller shades and the non-committal response was that "it's coming." 

[Neo1738]

If you have a keypad in the direct sunlight you could probably program based on light levels of the keypad. Or get a motion sensor w light level sensing. 

[zaphod]

1 hour ago, Neo1738 said:

If you have a keypad in the direct sunlight you could probably program based on light levels of the keypad. Or get a motion sensor w light level sensing. 

Good idea - this is how I would do this.  Have some sort of a light sensor and program on the light intensity.  But I wonder if keypads are sensitive enough and can differentiate between multiple levels of very bright.  You might need some other sort of sensor.

[Neo1738]

Yeah motion sensors (def the axxess) ones can. As added bonus you get a motion sensor. 

[Dave w]

Light meter on security cams or an ambient light sensor would do it with some IFTT programming. 

[Neo1738]

I also program the blinds on the east side of the home to open in timed increments after sunrise so as not to let the sun shine in our faces at the breakfast table or watching some morning TV on the couch. 

? If time is sunrise 
-> raise kitchen east blind to 15%
-> raise keeping room east left blind to 15%
etc. 
--> Delay 45 minutes

? If kitchen east blind is 15%
-> raise blind to 30%

 

you get the idea.

[booch]

Website that gives you this data + webhooks to C4...