The wind and sun sensor ensures comfort and safety. The sensor is connected to the motor. You don’t have to remember to open or close the awning—the sun–wind sensor will take care of it for you. The components are supplied by top manufacturers.
Awnings are not just shading technology
Awnings are sophisticated shading elements. Their service life is not determined by the type of fabric used or the kind of mechanism, but above all by the quality of the drive. That is why Somfy drives are designed to extend the awning’s lifespan as much as possible. Key functions include automatic stopping immediately after the cassette is closed, followed by slight fabric release. This effectively protects both the fabric and the awning mechanism. If the awning becomes blocked during closing, an electronic detection unit intervenes immediately and stops the motor.
Equipping awnings with an electric drive is certainly a kind of premium feature; however, it is important to realize that the added value lies not only in greater comfort or a longer service life of the shading system, but above all in increased efficiency of awning use. An automated system allows awnings to be operated even when we are not present.
Awnings should not be seen only as shading devices. They can make time spent on the terrace more pleasant even in cooler weather or in the evening when light levels are lower. For these situations, Somfy offers solutions in the form of special lighting and heating panels. One lighting panel contains five 20-watt halogen bulbs, allowing smooth adjustment of light intensity from subtle night lighting to full output. The preferred intensity can also be stored in memory. Naturally, both the entire panel and individual bulbs can be directed as needed. Energy-efficient heating panels with high efficiency (up to 92%) operate on the principle of radiant heat, meaning they do not heat the air. The emitted thermal energy is very close to solar radiation and therefore feels very pleasant. Like the lighting, the heating panel offers power regulation, storage of the selected value in memory, and instant recall after switching on.
Remote controls form a separate chapter and are an integral part of both manually controlled and fully automated drives.
A new product from Somfy is the Sunea RTS NHK, a universal drive with a built-in remote control receiver for standard, cassette, and semi-cassette awnings. This motor can also be operated in emergency mode using a crank in the event of a power outage. The Sunea RTS NHK drive is equipped with a range of advanced functions. Compatibility with wireless sun and wind sensors is standard. A function particularly useful for large awnings is the option to set a short reverse movement that ensures perfect fabric tension. For use in cassette awnings, the opposite function can also be used: releasing the fabric after the cassette is closed so that neither the awning mechanism nor the fabric is unnecessarily stressed. The closing force of the cassette can also be set in three levels. The drive is intelligent enough to prevent any manipulation of the awning after power is restored that could lead to damage.