Hello everyone, I wanted to share my journey of setting up an adaptive lighting system using OpenHAB after migrating from Home Assistant. The process has been incredibly rewarding, and I thought I’d document my experience in case it helps others looking to achieve similar results.
The Setup
I’ve always been fascinated by how lighting can influence our daily routines and overall comfort. Adaptive lighting, which adjusts based on the time of day and natural light availability, seemed like the perfect solution for my home. The goal was to create a system that automatically transitions through different color temperatures and brightness levels throughout the day, mimicking natural sunlight patterns.
The Process
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Research and Planning: I started by researching existing solutions and found that while there were some great components available, they didn’t quite fit my needs. I decided to build a custom script inspired by the Circadian Lighting component from Home Assistant.
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Script Development: The script calculates color temperature and brightness based on the sun’s position. It uses sunrise and sunset data to create smooth transitions. Here’s a simplified version of the logic:
javascript
// Example of how the script calculates values
var maxColorTemp = 5500;
var minColorTemp = 2000;
var maxBrightness = 100;
var minBrightness = 20;
// Calculate based on time of day
percentage = a * Math.pow((now - h), 2) + k;
if (percentage > 0) {
colorTemp = ((maxColorTemp - minColorTemp) * (percentage / 100)) + minColorTemp;
brightness = maxBrightness;
} else {
colorTemp = minColorTemp;
brightness = ((maxBrightness - minBrightness) * ((100 + percentage) / 100)) + minBrightness;
}
- Integration with Devices: I integrated this script with my Tasmota flashed Shelly Duo bulbs and LED controllers. The key was ensuring that the devices could adjust without turning on, which required some careful scripting and rule setup.
Challenges and Solutions
- RGB Conversion Accuracy: The initial RGB conversion wasn’t perfect, so I tweaked the values to better match my LED strips. This involved adjusting red and blue values slightly to achieve the desired color balance.
- Device Compatibility: Not all devices handle color temperature and brightness adjustments the same way. I had to create separate rules for Hue lights, which require checking if the light is on before making adjustments.
Tips for Others
- Start Small: Begin with a single room to test the system before expanding.
- Adjust for Your Space: Every lighting setup is unique, so don’t hesitate to tweak values to suit your environment.
- Documentation: Keep detailed notes of your configurations and adjustments for easy reference.
Conclusion
Setting up this adaptive lighting system has been a fantastic project. It’s not just about convenience—it’s about creating a comfortable and natural living environment. I’m thrilled with how it’s turned out and can’t recommend exploring adaptive lighting enough!
If anyone has questions or wants to share their own setups, I’d love to hear from you!
Best regards,
[Your Name]