December 01, 2025

Automatic blinds at sunset and sunrise

Automating your blinds to open at sunrise and close at sunset is one of the most impactful smart home automations. It improves energy efficiency, maintains privacy, and creates a natural daily rhythm in your home without any manual intervention.

Use cases

Energy and comfort

Winter heating - Open south-facing blinds to capture passive solar heat
Summer cooling - Close blinds before afternoon sun heats the room
Natural light - Wake up naturally with morning sun
Reduce HVAC load - Keep heat in during winter, out during summer

Privacy and security

Evening privacy - Automatic privacy when lights turn on inside
Away mode - Normal blind patterns even when not home
Consistent schedule - No forgotten open blinds at night

Products needed

Essential equipment

Motorized blinds or shades

Popular brands: Ikea FYRTUR/KADRILJ, Lutron Serena, Hunter Douglas PowerView, Soma Smart Shades
Options: Battery-powered (easier install), wired (more reliable), solar-powered (maintenance-free)

Smart home hub (for some brands)

Ikea blinds require Dirigera or third-party Zigbee hub
Some brands have native WiFi and work standalone

Optional enhancements

Light sensor (lux meter)

Trigger based on actual light levels instead of time
Accounts for cloudy days, seasonal variation

Temperature sensor

Close blinds when room gets too hot from sun exposure

💡 Choosing smart blinds

Battery-powered: Easiest DIY install, recharge every 3-6 months
Wired: No battery concerns, requires electrical work
Retrofit motors: Add to existing blinds (Soma, SwitchBot)
Check compatibility: Ensure blinds work with your smart home platform

Basic automation setup

IF time is sunrise THEN open all blinds to 100% IF time is sunset THEN close all blinds to 0%

Automation 1: Morning open

Triggers

Time is sunrise (or sunrise + offset)
OR Weekdays at 7:00 AM, weekends at 9:00 AM

Conditions

Home is not in Sleep mode (don't open if still sleeping)
Optional: Only if someone is home

Actions

Open blinds to 100%
Optional: Stagger opening by room for natural feel

Automation 2: Evening close

Triggers

Time is sunset (or sunset - 15 minutes for privacy before dark)
OR Fixed time like 7:00 PM in summer, earlier in winter

Conditions

None - always close for privacy

Actions

Close all blinds to 0%
Optional: Leave some at 50% for partial light

Platform-specific examples

Home Assistant

Open Trigger on sun rising, action cover.open

Close Trigger on sun setting, action cover.close

Tip: Add offset: sunrise + 30 minutes for delayed open

SmartThings

IF Time is sunrise THEN Open blinds

IF Time is sunset THEN Close blinds

Note: Add routines for weekend variations

Hubitat

Trigger Sunrise/Sunset (built-in)

Action Set shade level to 0% or 100%

Setup: Use Simple Automation Rules or Rule Machine

Apple HomeKit

Sunrise Create automation: When sunrise, open blinds

Sunset Create automation: When sunset, close blinds

Note: Add time offsets in automation settings

Alexa

Sunrise Routine: When sunrise → Open blinds

Sunset Routine: When sunset → Close blinds

Note: Works with compatible blind devices

Google Home

Sunrise Starter: Sunrise → Open blinds

Sunset Starter: Sunset → Close blinds

Note: Requires Works with Google compatible shades

Room-specific strategies

Bedrooms

Morning:

Open later than common areas (allow sleeping in)
Weekday: 30 min before alarm
Weekend: Manual or later trigger
Consider blackout shades for better sleep

Evening:

Close at sunset for privacy
Close earlier if preparing for bed

Living areas

Morning:

Open at sunrise or shortly after
Maximize natural light during the day

Evening:

Close at sunset or when lights turn on inside
Privacy as interior becomes visible from outside

South-facing windows (Northern Hemisphere)

Winter:

Open early to capture passive solar heating
Keep open during sunny days
Close at sunset to retain heat

Summer:

Close during peak sun hours (11 AM - 4 PM)
Reopen in evening for views
Prevents overheating and reduces AC load

West-facing windows

Year-round:

Close in afternoon to block intense setting sun
Prevents furniture fading and overheating
Open in morning for indirect light

Advanced features

Lux-based triggering

Use actual light levels instead of time:

Morning open:

Trigger: Outdoor lux rises above 500
More accurate than sunrise time
Adjusts for cloudy mornings automatically

Evening close:

Trigger: Outdoor lux drops below 200
Closes when it’s actually getting dark
Accounts for overcast days

Temperature-responsive blinds

Close when room gets too hot:

Trigger: Room temperature rises above 76°F (24°C)
Condition: Blinds are currently open
Action: Close blinds to 50% or fully
Helps reduce cooling costs in summer

Away mode patterns

Maintain normal patterns when away:

Continue normal open/close schedule
Varies from “all closed” which looks vacant
Combine with away lighting for realistic occupied appearance

Seasonal adjustments

Create different automations for seasons:

Summer mode (May-September):

Open later to keep cool morning air
Close earlier on hot afternoons
West windows close by 3 PM

Winter mode (October-April):

Open earlier to capture solar heat
South-facing open all day if sunny
Close at sunset to retain warmth

One-button override

Create scene for quick adjustment:

“Open all blinds” - Sets all to 100%
“Close all blinds” - Sets all to 0%
“Privacy mode” - Closes only street-facing windows
Map to physical button or voice command

Troubleshooting

Issue: Blinds don’t respond to automation

Causes:

Blind battery dead
Wireless connection lost
Hub offline
Automation disabled or errored

Solutions: ✅ Check blind battery level in app ✅ Test blind manually - does button on blind work? ✅ Verify hub is online and connected ✅ Re-pair blind to hub if needed ✅ Check automation is enabled and no errors

Issue: Timing is wrong

Causes:

Time zone set incorrectly
Sunrise/sunset calculation wrong
No offset configured
Location not set properly

Solutions: ✅ Verify time zone in smart home platform ✅ Check location settings for accurate sunrise/sunset ✅ Add or adjust offset times ✅ Use fixed time if dynamic times are unreliable

Issue: Blinds open when shouldn’t

Causes:

Sleep mode not set
Weekend not detected
Condition not configured

Solutions: ✅ Add condition: home mode is not “Sleep” or “Night” ✅ Add condition: day of week check for weekends ✅ Create separate weekday and weekend automations ✅ Add manual override that disables auto-open for period

Issue: Battery draining fast

Causes:

Too many movements per day
Frequent partial adjustments
Cold temperatures (affects battery performance)

Solutions: ✅ Reduce number of daily open/close cycles ✅ Use fewer intermediate positions ✅ Keep blinds in moderate temperature environment ✅ Consider wired option for frequently adjusted blinds

Best practices

Gradual transitions

Avoid jarring full open/close:

Open in stages: 25% → 50% → 75% → 100% over 30 minutes
Creates natural daylight transition
More pleasant wake-up experience

Manual override consideration

People still need control:

Physical buttons or remotes for each blind
Voice commands for quick adjustment
Dashboard controls easily accessible
Override doesn’t break future automations

Grouping by room

Create blind groups:

“Living Room Blinds” - all blinds in living room
“Street-Facing” - privacy-sensitive windows
“South Windows” - for solar gain control
Easier to automate and control

Battery management

For battery-powered blinds:

Set low battery alerts (around 20%)
Keep spare batteries
Note recharge schedule
Wired charging options if available

Related automations: