The Norwegian winter is a fascinating dance of light and dark, and as someone who loves to harness technology to create comfort, I thought I’d share my journey in automating my home’s lighting system. 
Living in Norway, where daylight can be as brief as a few hours in the depths of winter, I wanted to create a system that adapts to the ever-changing outdoor light conditions. My goal was to ensure my apartment remains bright and cozy without manual intervention. Here’s how I approached it:
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Understanding the Environment: With a mix of rain, snow, and varying sunlight, I knew I needed a system that could read the outdoor light levels accurately. I installed a Sensative Strip with a Lux sensor outside and connected it to my Zigbee-enabled lights inside.
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Setting the Parameters: I divided the day into zones:
- Morning: Lights fade in over 30 minutes based on the outdoor light reading.
- Day (9 AM - 6 PM): Bright, consistent lighting to counteract the often-overcast skies.
- Evening (6 PM - bedtime): Dimmed lighting to create a cozy atmosphere.
- Night: Lights dim to 0% for 45 minutes after bedtime.
- The Automation Script: I started drafting an automation script, but I had a few questions:
- How smooth can the transition be? I aim for a seamless fade over 30 minutes.
- How reliable is the sensor? It’s power-saving, so it only updates every 1-2 hours unless there’s a significant change in light.
Here’s a snippet of my initial script:
yaml
automation:
- alias: “Autolights”
trigger:
platform: event
event_type: state_changed
entity_id: sensor.sensative_strips_comfort_luminance
condition:
condition: or
conditions:
- condition: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.sensative_strips_comfort_luminance
** if (val < 10lux) { brightness = 30%} # Baseline for dark mornings**
** else if (val < 100lux) {brightness = 50%} # Brighter mornings**
** else if (val < 1000lux) {brightness = 85%} # Sunny days**
** else if (val < 3000lux) {brightness = 50%} # Overcast days**
** else (brightness == 0%) # Bright daylight**
- Challenges and Learning: I’ve encountered a few hiccups, like ensuring the lights don’t toggle unpredictably and making sure the fade transitions are smooth. It’s been a great learning experience, and I’m excited to refine this further.
If anyone has tips or experiences to share, especially regarding sensor reliability and smooth transitions, I’d love to hear them! 
Let’s make our homes as adaptable as possible to nature’s ever-changing canvas. Happy automating! 