Hi everyone, I’ve recently set up my outdoor lighting to turn on at sunset and off at sunrise, and I thought I’d share my setup and tips in case anyone else is looking to do the same. It’s been a game-changer for evenings and mornings, and I love how it enhances the ambiance without needing to manually adjust anything.
Setup Overview
I’m using Philips Hue bulbs connected to a Hue bridge, integrated with SmartThings. The goal was to have the lights come on at sunset and turn off at sunrise, adjusting automatically with daylight changes. Here’s how I did it:
Steps I Took
- Installed the Hue Bridge: If you haven’t already, install the Hue bridge and connect it to your network. Pair your Hue bulbs with the bridge.
- Set Up SmartThings: Add the Hue bridge to SmartThings. This allows you to control your Hue devices through the SmartThings app.
- Create a SmartApp: I used the Smart Lighting app within SmartThings to create a new automation. This app makes it easy to set up lighting schedules based on time or location.
- Configure the Automation:
- Trigger: Set the trigger to activate at sunset. SmartThings automatically detects sunset based on your location.
- Action: Choose the lights you want to turn on and set the desired brightness. I went with 40% brightness for a soft glow.
- Deactivation: Set the lights to turn off at sunrise. Again, SmartThings handles the timing automatically.
- Test and Adjust: Turn on the automation and monitor it for a few days to ensure it works as expected. Adjust the brightness or timing if needed.
Tips for Success
- Location Accuracy: Make sure your SmartThings location is set correctly for accurate sunset and sunrise times.
- Brightness Adjustment: Experiment with different brightness levels to find what works best for your outdoor space.
- Grouping Lights: Group your outdoor lights in the Hue app for easier control within SmartThings.
Questions and Thoughts
Has anyone else set up a similar automation? I’d love to hear about your experiences or any tips you have for optimizing this setup. Also, if you’re using a different hub or app, how did you achieve the same result? I’m curious to learn about other approaches and maybe find ways to improve my setup further.
Happy automating everyone! 
