I’ve been on a journey to integrate smart home technology into my daily life, and I wanted to share my experience with combining Shelly and Somfy devices for privacy and automation. It’s been a fascinating process, and I’ve learned a lot along the way!
My Setup
I live in a quiet neighborhood, but my home office is visible from the street. I wanted to maintain privacy without sacrificing natural light or the ability to enjoy the outdoors. After some research, I decided to use a mirror film on my windows, which worked well during the day. However, at night, the reflection made the room visible from outside, which wasn’t ideal.
To solve this, I added a PDLC film on the inner side of the window. PDLC stands for Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal, and it’s essentially a smart film that can switch between transparent and opaque with the application of electricity. When powered on, it’s clear; when off, it’s frosted. This was the perfect solution for maintaining privacy while still allowing natural light during the day.
Automation Integration
I wanted this setup to be fully automated, so I integrated it with my Shelly 1. The PDLC film is set to be transparent during the day. In the evening, when I enter my room, the film switches to opaque to ensure privacy. I also added a Pico remote to manually override the settings if needed.
The automation works seamlessly with my presence sensor. When I leave the room, the film turns back to transparent, which is great for energy efficiency. The power consumption is minimal—only 5W per square meter when on—and it doesn’t run continuously, which keeps my energy bills low.
Tips and Tricks
If you’re considering a similar setup, here are a few tips:
- Research Local Suppliers: Not all areas have the same window configurations, so finding the right materials might take some time.
- Test the Film: Before committing to a full installation, test the PDLC film on a small section of your window to ensure it meets your expectations.
- Automation Software: Make sure your automation software is compatible with your devices. I used Hubitat, and it worked perfectly with the Shelly 1 and PDLC film.
- Manual Override: Always have a way to manually control the system, just in case the automation doesn’t behave as expected.
Conclusion
This project has been a huge success for me. It’s improved my privacy, reduced energy consumption, and integrated seamlessly with my existing smart home setup. I’m now inspired to explore more automation projects around my home!
If anyone has questions or wants to share their own experiences with similar setups, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s keep the conversation going! 