MOTORISED ROLLER BLINDS MELBOURNE.
MOTORISED
ROLLER BLINDS
Roller Blinds are by far the most popular, versatile, functional and cost effective window furnishing solution available today. With its timeless design, its popularity has lasted thru the ever changing design trends and its adaptability to appeal to everyones tastes, decor and interior styling makes it a very sought after product. The huge array of fabrics now available, gives it huge potential to fit just about every scenario and budget. It would be fair to say that roller blinds popularity with continue into the future.
Motorising your roller blinds will take your roller blinds functionality to the next level. Wow factor aside, the potential to create programmed scenarios to improve your homes energy efficiency and livability are huge.
Most people will spend at least a few years or even decades in their home. For this reason creating a livable and adaptable houses that responds to not only its internal but also external environment will make your home more energy efficient and comfortable to live in.
Even though a manually operated roller blind cost less than a motorised roller blind, the cost of motorising your roller blinds has never been more affordable. Also with the introduction of reliable rechargeable battery powered roller blind motors, scenarios which were once cost prohibitive are now a feasible option.
Innovations in Motorised Roller Blinds?
Contrary to many peoples beliefs that motorised roller blinds are a recent innovation, motorised roller blinds have actually been around for decades. 30 years ago motorised roller blinds was a convenient luxury that not many people could afford. In the last 10 years a lot has changed with many innovations in motorised blind technology, home automation and the advent of the smart phone. Motorisation is now in reach of most people and motorising your roller blinds is definitely a serious consideration when replacing or installing new roller blinds.
Probably the most relevant changes to have occurred in the last decade with motorised roller blinds has been in the following areas;
Price - Tubular roller blind motors have significantly come down in price over the last 10 years. This is partly due to increased competition and the flood of cheap motors from China. Even premium quality motors have come down significantly in price. However a premium roller blind motor will still cost you three times the price of a cheap Chinese model. At Motorised Blinds Australia we are firm believers that you get what you pay for and this is definitely the case with roller blind motors. We have found over the years that even though a cheap tubular motor manufacturer will still offer a 5 year warranty on their product, it is a false economy as you are forever replacing these motors due to them failing.
Acoustic Performance - The acoustic performance of motorised roller blinds has significantly improved over the last 10 years. The most common complaint that people would make about motorised blinds was the noise that the roller blind motors would make when opening and closing them. This is still the case with many of the cheaper motors. However a good quality roller blind motor should have good acoustic performance. Tubular blind motor manufacturer Somfy is a leader in this field and they have been developing ultra quiet blind motors for years. Their Somfy Sonesse Ultra internal roller blind motors have an acoustic performance as low as 38db. This said they have also been able to maintain a high torque in their tubular motors to drive blinds that are larger and wider than ever before.
Acoustic Consistency - No two motorised roller blind motors are created equal. One of the idiosyncrasies of blind motorisation since the beginning has been that one motor can vary in speed and sound from the next..even if they are the same make and model. In the past it has been accepted in our industry as an inherent characteristic
of the tubular motors used to power roller blinds, however there has been some advancements in improving the acoustic consistency from one motor to the next. This however is also dependant on quality of the motor you use. At Motorised Blinds Australia we proudly power our roller blinds with Somfy motors. Cheaper alternatives are hit and miss. You may have one really quiet blind motor and one that is quite noisey.
RTS Technology - Most motorised roller blinds today are controlled using radio wave technology, which is far superior than infrared technology. Our Somfy powered roller blinds use RTS Technology. This acronym stands for Radio Technology Somfy and is a control platform to operate your Somfy powered motorised roller blinds. Unlike the old infrared remote controls... there is no need to stand in front and point the remote at the roller blind. RTS is omni directional and allows for your blinds to be operated from anywhere in your home or office, the radio waves can even penetrate thru concrete walls. This technology will not interfere with other radio controlled products as it utilizes a rolling code with16million combinations. RTS has been integrated in a range of Somfy control options. They include;
Wireless Technology- There has been a big push in the window furnishing industry to eliminate wired technology in favour of wireless technology. It makes sense that the less wiring that needs to be installed the more simplified and affordable motorisation will become. With the release of Somfys Sonesse 30 Wire Free Motor in conjunction with the RTS control platform and Somfys wireless remotes, it is now possible to install completely wireless motorised roller blinds without the need of an electrician.
Battery Powered Roller Blind Motors- Manufacturers have been making battery powered blind motors for years with limited success. In the last 10 years with the advancement of material and technology, batteries have come a long way since their older predecessors. The Somfy Sonesse 30 tubular blind motor has a long life Li-ion battery inbuilt which can go for up to a year(depending on use) on a single charge. The Sonesse 30 roller blind motor will quietly and effortlessly raise and lower your motorised roller blinds. The blind motors Li-ion battery is integrated into the motor and there is now no need to be replacing batteries or having to recharge your blind every week or month. Battery powered blind motors are also makes motorising your roller blinds more affordable due to them not requiring an electrician. Getting power to your blinds can be an very expensive exercise especially when retro fitting motorised roller blinds into an existing build. Battery powered blind motors even though not suitable for all motorised blind scenarios can be used in most motorised roller blind applications.
Motorised Roller Blind Control Options - In the beginning motorised roller blinds were simply controlled by a wired toggle switch located fnext to each window which had 3 positions, up and down and stop. In the last 10 years there have been many breakthrough technologies which has simplified installation and centralised the control of motorised blinds. There are now many control options which allow you to operate your motorised roller blinds. They include;
-the simple touch of a button with a remote control
-through your smart phone.
-voice command using Somfy Connexoon and a third party voice assistant.
-remotely via the internet
-and also it is now possible to have your roller blinds operate autonomously without even lifting a finger.
Smart Home Controls - Most motor manufacturers are now creating their own smart home hubs to centralise the control of their roller blind motors and increase their control options. Only a few years ago this was not possible. At Motorised Blinds Australia we only use and recommend Somfy. They are the industry leader in window furnishing motorisation. The Somfy Connexoon Hub gives you a huge scope of control over your roller blinds and all other Somfy powered products. What is possible with my Somfy Connexoon Hub;
1.Roller Blind Smart Phone Control- the Somfy Connexoon allows you to operate your Somfy motorised blinds via a smart phone.
Using the the Somfy Connexoon Hub and installing the Windows RTS App you will be able to control your motorised roller blinds using your smart phone via an internet connection anywhere in the world. Centralising your motorised blinds controls is not only the perfect solution for your home but also for offices and holiday homes.
2.Voice Control - It is now possible using simple voice commands to raise and lower your Somfy powered motorised roller blinds. Using the Connexoon Hub and a third party voice assistant such as Alexa, Google Assistant thru IFTTT. The Somfy Connexoon allows you to create multiple scenes or scenarios to activate targeted groups of blinds with different voice commands. Once considered in the realms of science fiction this technology brings reliable and functional operation of your motorised blinds today.
3. Climatic Sensors - At Motorised Blinds Australia our Somfy powered roller blinds are all equiped with RTS technology which enable wireless connectivity and communication between Somfy devices. Using Somfys range of Sun, Wind and Temperature Sensors which can monitor the climatic conditions inside and out 24 hours a day you can set customised thresholds which will raise and lower your motorised blinds autonomously. This helps maintain a comfortable and energy efficiency environment without you having to constantly adjust your motorised roller blind
4.Autonomous Blinds Operations Using Somfys Connexoon and Climatic Sensor Range, (ABO) Autonomous Blinds Operations is now possible on Somfy powered roller blinds, curtains and awning systems. Using the Connexoon to create scenes as well as the climatic sensors to monitor climatic conditions it will allow your automated window furnishing system to sense the state of the environment and analyze scenes and thresholds set by you to raise and lower your blinds. This will improve efficiency and is a more responsive and sustainable way of operating your motorised blinds.