Motorized Shades - Somfy vs. Lutron - Historical Perspective

Lutron vs. Somfy – Understanding their Respective Histories

“What is the difference between Somfy and Lutron?”

This blog intends to offer a complete answer to this common question. Knowing the history of each company and where they came from reveals the logic behind their respective strategies and the rationale behind their product offerings. The past informs the present.

Somfy, a French company, once supplied precision components to the European clock making industry in Montblanc. In 1967, the company entered the motorized awning industry, providing durable motors for exterior awning applications. Still today, Somfy is the market leader in awning motors. In the mid 1990s, Somfy leveraged its core competency of building tubular motors for opening and closing sun shielding awnings and introduced a line of motors intended for interior sun protection; window shades.

There are certainly similarities in the awning and window treatment business, generally, both contend with sunlight by extending and retracting (or raising and lowering) fabric. At first glance, it might seem that motorized window shades are simply interior awnings. However, the specific details of the interior window shade market are very different from the exterior awning market. In terms of products, there are a limited range of awnings styles, colors and fabrics. Choices for window treatments are practically unlimited. In this way, awnings are akin to garage doors whereas window treatments have more in common with fine furniture.

In deciding how to bring its motors to market, Somfy followed its successful model in the motorized awning industry where it sold motors to awning dealers and fabricators. In a similar way, Somfy opted to sell its motors to companies that sold traditional window shades. Here again, the industries were different. Awning providers were likely to possess construction skills whereas window shade dealers had a softer set of skills that leaned more towards design. These new dealers certainly did not have technical backgrounds in electronics or motors.

The challenge was teaching electronics and technology to a crowd more comfortable with fabrics and color matching. Somfy had to teach the basics of how to motorize shades using Somfy motors, how to plan wiring for shade power and control, how and when to involve an electrician and of course how to present and sell motorization to end users. Its success today is a testament to how well Somfy was able to educate its dealers. But one thing they did not foresee was a new competitor from a different industry…

Lutron traces its roots back to 1961, when it introduced the world’s first dimmer switch. Today, Lutron is a dominant player in the lighting industry. The company sells a wide range of products, from basic light switches in retail stores to elaborate, customized lighting control systems for residential and commercial applications through a network of dealers/installers.

Several factors contributed to Lutron’s decision to enter the motorized shade industry. First, as a lighting control company, Lutron knew that sunlight played a major role in a home’s overall lighting design. The company’s slogan is “Lutron Controls Your Light” and it saw that this could (should) be applied to ‘natural light’ as well as ‘artificial light’. Second, it was witnessing the window treatment industry fumbling with the technical aspects of motorization adoption. Third, new entrants into the lighting control field were challenging Lutron’s dominant position and pressuring margins. Fourth, a new market, termed ‘home automation’ was growing rapidly and lighting control was quickly becoming a sub component of total home automation systems. For all of these reasons, Lutron wanted (needed) to differentiate itself and its dealer base with what it hoped would be a ‘game changing’ product line.

In the late 1990’s, Lutron purchased Vimco, an established, medium-sized window shade company. Lutron then combined its newly developed, proprietary motor, the QED or Quiet Electronic Drive with Vimco shades. The QED made big waves in the industry for being practically noiseless. This was a classic example of redefining the parameters of competition in an industry. Before QEDs, consumers did not even know that motor noise level would become a factor in their purchase decisions. It took several years for Somfy to catch up to the QED’s noiselessness which gave Lutron a significant advantage as it launched its new motorized shading division. Despite this feature advantage, the company faced an uphill battle.

The opposite of Somfy’s dilemma, Lutron’s challenge was (and still is) teaching fabrics and color matching to a crowd more comfortable with electronics and technology. Lutron’s dealers had no experience in the window treatment industry. For this reason, Lutron recognized that simply providing motors and controls (like Somfy) would not be sufficient. Somfy’s path, informed by its experience in the motorized awning market, did not make sense for Lutron given their dealer base and channel structure. Lutron knew that to be successful, it had to make selling motorized window shades as easy as possible for its dealer network.

Recognizing that it had to teach a whole new industry to its lighting dealers, Lutron (wisely) started with functional ‘natural’ light control. This strategy was also dictated by the fact that Vimco manufactured a limited selection of functional solar and blackout window shades - all were roller shades. Over the years, Lutron has expanded its product offering to include a greater variety of styles and designs of motorized window coverings. Today, Lutron is a full-fledged window treatment fabricator. This presents new challenges and opportunities which will be covered in future posts.

Couched in this historical context one can now (hopefully) appreciate why each company offers what it does the way it does. From this vantage point, one can properly evaluate and appreciate the specific details and differences relating to product performance, available features and pricing. Subsequent posts will cover these important topics.

Motorized Shades - Somfy vs. Lutron Prewire Considerations

Lutron vs. Somfy – Prewire Considerations

This post is part of a series which intends to offer a complete answer to the question “What is the difference between Somfy and Lutron”

Today’s sophisticated home automation systems are designed and incorporated into architectural plans at the very early stages of a project. Lutron, through its vast network of dealers, has always been involved at this stage planning the wiring for its lighting and lighting control products. In this way, Lutron’s dealers are uniquely positioned to initiate the motorized window shade discussion at the outset. This has played a significant role in growing the overall market for motorized shades and has moved the decision point for which shade system is used much earlier on in the construction sequence.

This new reality is due to the fact that while Somfy (and all other shade motor manufacturers) use an open wiring architecture – Lutron’s is closed. How a house is wired for shades largely dictates which shades will be used. Lutron shades and controls use a specific wire. Why? Lutron’s engineers designed their shade solution to take full advantage of the fact that Lutron’s dealers are involved in wiring homes at the very early stages. Very clever! Using a proprietary specialized 7-conductor shading wire, Lutron and its lighting dealers are effectively able to ‘lock out’ non Lutron motorized shade solutions at the time of pre-wire.

Somfy has launched a “Somfy Expert Program” – which is a wide scale effort to educate window treatment dealers selling motorized shades and most importantly, integrators on how its motor and control technologies fit into overall smart home systems. Besides facilitating relationships between Somfy’s window treatment dealers and home automation companies, this affords Somfy an opportunity to be presented at the pre-wire and early planning stages of these projects. By facilitating partnerships and educating the players involved in pre-wire, Somfy’s solution is no longer boxed out of these critical early planning stages.

It is important to understand that not all homes have dedicated lighting control and home automation systems. For now, these systems are found only at the very high end of the market. Motorized shade systems are sold and wired in homes without sophisticated automation and lighting control systems and in these cases, Lutron has no entrenched wiring advantage since its dealers are not involved in these projects. But that is cold comfort to companies like Somfy, who found themselves boxed out of some preeminent projects by din of the wire chosen and now behind drywall. In a reactive measure, a couple years ago, Somfy even introduced a motor and adapter that can plug into Lutron’s special wire in an attempt to loosen Lutron’s hold on this niche market. Somfy’s recent efforts at educating the market are more enduring and comprehensive.

One must applaud Lutron for using technology to leverage its dealer’s position in the project planning phases. For its part Somfy has also used technology as an advantage to exploit certain weaknesses in the Lutron strategy. The next article in this series will explain how Somfy’s introduction of radio frequency (RF) motor control changed the game for motorized window shades.

Motorized Shades - Lutron QED Pricing Discussion

Lutron QED Shades - Pricing Discussion

Lutron's proprietary motorized shades, called Sivoia QEDs (QED = Quiet Electronic Drive) are an excellent product. They are very well made; from the shade material and bracketing components to the quiet motors and reliable controls. No other company provides a comparable 'end to end' solution like Lutron. Lutron makes the motors, the shades, the controls and even the wire for its products. Most motorized shades are made by combining motors from one company, brackets from another and shades from still another. Introducing multiple vendors leaves more room for product variability and specifically can mean that the overall look is not as 'finished' as a Lutron solution. (to be fair, frequently, shades are mounted in locations where much of this cannot be seen, but the 'finished' look concept extends further to Lutron's offering, as I will explain below)

In terms of performance, Lutron's motorized shades offer more features than other products. First of all, they are very quiet - hence the 'Q' in QED. Other motor manufacturers have since closed the gap on the quiet issue, but not totally. Lutron's QEDs also have intelligence (a microchip) in the motor which allows the control to 'know' where the shade is at any given time (this is called feedback). Other motor companies have similar capabilities but only in certain applications. Feedback enables two things, first the controller can show in percentage terms exactly where the shade is located, even if it is in a different location than the control. This is a bit gimmicky, I agree but the second feature is quite impressive. Namely, multiple Lutron shades can be almost perfectly aligned (something they call 'intelligent hembar alignment'). In rooms with multiple shades on different size tubes, this offers a very 'finished' (there's that word again) look. (to be fair, not all people care if there shades are perfectly aligned and non Lutron systems can come very close but like the quiet feature, not quite as close)

An analogy may (perhaps) be useful here. Lutron procures and combines the key ingredients and cooks the food for its dealers. It has excellent kitchen facilities and chefs that are proven. Its dealers then simply serve this delectable food to their client. Other motorized shade solutions are more like parts of the meal and the dealer must prepare (or at least combine) the food and serve the meal to client. Typically, the Lutron dealers pay more for a pre-cooked meal and charge more for this product in absolute terms (not necessarily in percentage terms). It is fair to say that if price is was not such a driving factor in many if not most cases, clients would switch to Lutron's cooking.

Lutron has perfected the sales and presentation of its products for its dealers. To extend my analogy, they help their dealers by preparing and printing the menus for them. Their quotes are done with a custom designed software program called the Shade Configuration Tool (SCT) which provides useful diagrams and details other non Lutron solutions do not match. Lutron provides food samples that are known to entice diners. Lutron marketing pieces are excellent, both visually appealing and informative. Lutron provides quality sample binders that are complete and professionally assembled. Lutron has upgraded the motorized shade selection experience and removed much of the possible variation out of motorized shade purchasing.

Other posts will discuss the rationale behind Lutron's unique sales approach and business model. This post addresses only the rationale for pricing differences. Lutron does cost more in most cases - this post attempts to explain why. Some of the key differences that result in the product commanding a premium price may not be sufficiently important to a client depending upon their needs, wants and budget.

Finally, it is very important to note that with any product that requires installation, the best product can dissappoint if the company installing is not competent and professional. Meaningful depth of installation expertise and high standards of customer service are the keys to any successful motorized shade job.

Motorized Window Shades - Primary Benefits

Motorized Window Shades – Primary Benefits Listed

1. Convenience. Raising and lowering a manual shade is easy enough if it is not too big. But if the shade is very large or there are 2, 3, 4 or more shades then it becomes more difficult and more time consuming. This convenience factor is important for several other benefits listed below.
a. Maximizing Views. The convenience of motorized shades can mean the difference between seeing a beautiful sunrise/sunset or missing it. Stunning vistas are rarely missed when opening or closing shades is as simple as pressing a button.
b. Security. Motorized shades can easily be set on a timer so that when guests are away from home for an extended period of time, shades are raised and lowered at various preset times. This gives the impression that someone is living in the house which deters would be thieves.
c. Conserving Energy. The heat gain from sunlight through windows during summer months is a major burden on air conditioning. The convenience of motorized shades makes saving energy much simpler. Preset timers obviate the need to remember to raise or lower shades for energy saving purposes.
d. Protecting Furniture, artwork and flooring. The sun’s rays can do damage to interior furnishings, causing fading, cracking or warping. The convenience of motorized shades makes protecting furniture, artwork and flooring much simpler. Preset timers are also useful in this regard.
e. Many Windows and/or Large Windows. As the number and size of windows increases, the case for window shade motorization becomes increasingly compelling. Some walls of windows are 20, 30 or even 60 feet in length which makes motorization a practical necessity.
f. Hard to reach windows. These skylight windows, second story openings or windows blocked by furniture or other obstructions are why motorization of window shades was first conceived. Obviously, these factors are still relevant today.
2. Child Safety. A shocking number of injuries and deaths result each year due to cords from manual window shades. The window shade industry’s “Child Safety Month” is intended to address these hazards with safety clips and consumer awareness. The best solution is no cords at all, which is possible with motorized shades.
3. Unsightly Cords. Aesthetically, cords detract from the clean look of a window opening. Multiple shades mean multiple cords, pooling on the floor when fully open. Motorized window shades means no more unsightly control cords and open, clear views through windows.
4. Less Wear and Tear. Tangling and unfamiliar ‘user abuse’ to shades are the most common causes of service calls. The control mechanisms on manual shades, if used frequently (see convenience factor above), will break and can be costly to repair or replace.
5. They are cool! Functionally, motorized shades make a lot of sense and aesthetically, they are definitely preferable to manual shades. Let’s not forget that they also have an impressive WOW Factor!

Motorized Shades - Things to Consider When Purchasing

Things to Consider When Buying Motorized Window Shades
1. Power. Where will the shades get power to operate? This may involve hiding a wire behind existing furnishings and plugging into an existing outlet or tapping a local outlet so that power is available at the motor location. Depending upon the size of the window to be covered and the size of the shade required this may involve high or low voltage power.
• a. High Voltage. 120V motors. Used if shades are greater than 9 feet wide or if 2 or more large shades are to be powered by the same motor. (Called a 2-on-1 application, explained below). Wiring may be subject to building code regulations.
• b. Low Voltage. 24V motors. Used in shades less than 9 feet (approximately) or smaller 2 on 1 applications. Wiring for power is simpler and not subject to building code regulations as it is low voltage and therefore considered safer for installation. Low voltage motors require a transformer to transform power from high voltage to low voltage.


2. Use of room. If a room is bathed in light and used frequently, the shades will need to be raised and lowered frequently which augurs for a convenient solution like motorization. Bedrooms and media rooms have specific, frequent lighting and/or privacy needs and motorized shades are often called for.
3. Location of sun relative to the room. Depending upon their exposure, some rooms have large windows that do not receive much direct sunlight are not used for sleeping, privacy is not a concern and therefore shades may rarely be raised or lowered. Motorized shades may not be needed in these locations.
4. Child safety. Each year, a surprising number of injuries and deaths result from control cords for manual window shades. Since cords are obviated with automated control, this can be a very strong rationale for motorized shades in children's rooms. Also, frequent use and naps during the day as well as timers for scheduled wake ups (or non wake ups!) are factors.
5. Control. Given the advent of reliable Radio Frequency (RF) technologies, control for shades is flexible. Remotes or Wall Switches can be used both of which have the ability to be wireless. Generally, control in each room should be independent. Beyond that, controls can be programmed to allow for all the shades in the house to raise or lower from one button press or any variation of rooms or floors or zones that you wish to control as a group. Control that is integrated with home automation or lighting control systems are also popular - this will be the subject of a subsequent article. Basically, this means that the shades are controlled by the remote or touch panel of the overall home or lighting control system rather than (or in addition to) the stand alone shade control.
6. Value and performance. There are simple ways to lower costs of motorized shades without compromising system performance which should be considered. The key is configuration. a. Multiple shades driven by a single motor. Shade motors are very powerful and can easily lift multiple shades. A wall of windows is a perfect application for this configuration. Granted, individual control of each shade is not possible, as the motor drives all shades up or down at the same time. However, in the vast majority of cases, it is not necessary or desirable to operate the shades individually along this line of shades. b. Avoid extra large shades, even if the measurements are within specified tolerances. As shades get larger (greater than 9 feet wide) the price increases geometrically as opposed to arithmetically. Best idea is to split shades in large openings on a mullion and use a 2-on-1 configuration (see above).
7. Warranties. Most motors come with a 5 year warranty and electronic components come with a 1 year warranty from the manufacturer. Installation warranties of one year from the window treatment company that installed the product should be provided. This means that in the first year of operation, if anything goes wrong, there should not be any trip charges or service fees. This is important as it is in the first year (or first 3 months) that any problems will typically occur.

Motorized Shades in New York City - No Longer a Luxury

Motorized Window Shades in New York – Luxury or Necessity?

In the past decade, New York City has seen a record number of all glass residential developments built. With walls of windows, these modern high rises boast breathtaking vistas. While providing dramatic views, these expansive windows are not without their drawbacks.

Most rooms are completely bathed in sunlight. Though this lends a sense of spaciousness and openness much desired by new purchasers, the heat and glare that accompany this sunlight are problematic. The former causes interior climate issues, while the latter’s effects range from annoying disruption to costly destruction. The heat absorbed through the glass taxes even the most robust air conditioning systems and can cause monthly bills to skyrocket far beyond the new owners’ budgeted amount. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal tells the story of an interior designer who moved from a traditional brick-walled apartment building to a new glass-walled high rise, it explains that, "electric bills doubled per square foot because of all the heat-transferring glass".

The glare from the sun confounds TV watching, computer use and even reading. The rays of the sun can fade furnishings, cabinets, flooring, walls and artwork. The same article in the Wall Street Journal tells the story of Sara Antani, who purchased a new 17th floor condo with expansive views of the Hudson River in New York City. "After moving in, the sun bleached her...European sectional sofas, which cost $20,000". Obviously, window shades are a must but heat gain and sun damage are a common occurrence, not just in homes without shades, but also when shades are not lowered during the day and at peak sunlight hours. The problem is that wall-to-wall windows mean a lot of shades need to be lowered each and every day which can be a time-consuming process. Pressing one button upon leaving their homes in the morning is much more likely to happen than manually closing 5, 10, 15 sometimes more than 20 shades in a unit. If each shade takes 10 seconds to lower, it means precious minutes are wasted in this rather painstaking process.

Once bought as a status symbol or for out of reach windows, motorized shades in New York have definitely gone mainstream. Their convenience protects interiors and this has become a major priority for consumers, especially considering that sun damage to interior furnishings and fixtures is rarely covered by insurance policies. The window treatment industry is responding by offering motors that can be controlled by timers and sun sensors to ensure interiors are protected even if the homeowner forgets to press a button. Today, many new condos are being built with wiring in place for motorized shades at every opening. Motors themselves are smaller, quieter, more efficient and less expensive than in years past.

The drawbacks of vast window expanses, it seems, are learned by most people only after moving into their new, modern oasis. (Particularly the first morning!) This brings up an important point and helpful tip. Paper temporary shades, which are like large accordion-style post it notes for windows, are inexpensive and can be found at Home Depot. These temp shades are extremely useful in the first few weeks after moving in, especially for bedroom/sleeping areas or rooms with valuable art or furnishings. Even if you plan to order shades as soon as you move in - after deciding upon and signing a contract for most window shades or curtains, a typical lead time prior to installation is at least 3 weeks. (note: most shading companies will provide these temporary shades free of charge, if they do not offer, definitely ask).

Despite their drawbacks, wall-to-wall and floor to ceiling windows are what consumers are looking for. According to one New York real estate agent;
Interiors are important but in many cases, the view is what sells.
As consumers weigh increased cooling (and heating) costs, as well as sun damage to interiors, they are deciding that the best solution is to control the sunlight…at the touch of a button.

Motorized Curtains - Key Considerations

The first question to consider is; How will the motorized curtain be mounted? Will it be inside mount, ceiling mount or outside mount? Inside or ceiling mount means that the top of the motorized curtain will be mounted to something horizontal (a ceiling or a pocket or a door/window frame) outside mount means that it will simply be mounted to a wall with room above the motorized curtain. The more challenging is the inside mount, since there is no room for error. Here, proper measuring and deductions are especially important to ensure that the end product fits perfectly inside the opening. A perfect fit is a matter of taste and should be carefully reviewed with the client. Some prefer the fabric to literally skim the floor, others like a more standard ¼’ gap between the floor and the bottom of the lowest part of the drape. Inside and ceiling mount applications, when they are performed in non-square window openings can look uneven since the curtain is a straight square and the opening may not be. So, the 1/4” deduction from the lowest point may be a full inch or more from the highest point. There is no real way to solve for this except to know in advance and manage expectations. Measuring the opening at multiple points for height will reveal any height discrepancies.

What style will the motorized curtain be? There are two main styles available for motorized curtains / electric drapes; Pinch pleat; which is, like it sounds pinches of fabric every few inches and Ripplefold, which is a method of having the fabric without pleats but gently zig sagging in an S-shape. Both of these are design considerations. The standard pinch pleat, (aka French pleat) is the more common. Also, pinch pleat stacks tighter/smaller than Ripplefold, typically. (see below for stacking definition)

Where will the shades open and close to, also called ‘stacking’. First consideration is which side of the track will the motor be on, this is informed by how the motorized curtains should open; left, right or center open. This brings up Clients are frequently surprised to learn that curtains, when fully open (ie letting light in), frequently do not clear the glass of the window on each side. , unless there is room on one or both sides of the opening. This is called ‘stacking off the glass’. The stack of the fabric is typically 25 – 33% of its width when the curtains are open. This means that if the window width is 12 feet, that the drapery, if it is a center open, will stack approximately 4 ft total or 2 feet per side. This can block sliding door openings as well as views! To have sufficient room to stack off the glass would require wall space on one or both sides totaling 4 feet.

How heavy are the fabrics? Fabrics can get quiet heavy with larger curtains, especially if a blackout lining is added. Fabric weight and window size may make manual operation impractical without dividing the opening into several smaller sections which will leave stacks in the middle of the glass. This is one of the benefits of motorized draperies; large spans can be covered by single draperies driven by one or two motors. Knowing the fabric weight, usually expressed as lbs. or oz. per yard in advance allows for proper determination, configuration and motor selection. (Note: light sheer fabrics do not have the same weight issues as other fabric materials).

There are other factors aside from those listed above. However, being informed as to the intended mounting type, pleat style, opening side and estimated stacking and fabric weight will go a long way to ensuring that any motorized curtain project is a success.