URC launched its Total Control Intelligent Shading utility, the latest innovation under URC’s growing Automation Engine suite of automation solutions.
URC’s Intelligent Shading utility is designed to align window treatments with the sun’s daily path, local environmental conditions, and hyper-local weather data. The built-in utility acts as a “smart-home automation script” that evaluates every eligible shade every few minutes to decide whether it should be open or closed. By referencing the home’s precise latitude and longitude, the system calculates the sun’s exact elevation and azimuth to align window treatments with the sun’s daily path.
This new utility goes beyond simple light sensing by monitoring a comprehensive suite of real-time variables:
- Precision Weather Data: Evaluates UV index, cloud cover percentage, visibility, wind gust speed, current temperature, and daily high temperature.
- Thermostat Integration: Dynamically learns your average cooling setpoints to decide how aggressively to close shades on hot days.
- Directional Intelligence: Each shade “knows” its specific compass direction (e.g., NE, SW), ensuring it only closes for heat or glare when the sun is actually shining on that specific window.
The result is a system that automatically adjusts to manage solar heat gain and glare, helping users achieve greater energy balance and comfort. During peak sun hours, the system can automatically lower shades to protect interiors and reduce cooling costs, while raising them during cooler periods to maximise natural light. By combining solar tracking with live UV data, the module creates an environment that feels more natural and more adaptive to the user’s lifestyle.
URC’s Intelligent Shading is designed to prioritise the longevity of the home’s interior and the comfort of its occupants.
- Interior Preservation: The system’s highest priority is UV protection; it automatically triggers shade movements when the UV index reaches or exceeds 6 to prevent furniture and flooring from fading.
- Climate and Energy Balance: During peak heat, the system lowers shades based on forecasted highs to reduce cooling costs. Conversely, on very cold, cloudy days, it closes shades to help insulate windows and retain heat.
- Safety and Privacy: The system monitors wind gusts and acts at or above 13 mph to automatically retract shades marked as “Outdoor” preventing damage. A “Night Privacy” mode ensures shades close after sunset for immediate security.
- Glare Reduction: A specialised “cold-glare” logic identifies low-elevation sun on clear, chilly days to reduce annoying low-angle reflections while maintaining natural light elsewhere.
Built with AI on URC’s Unified Module framework, the Intelligent Shading utility simplifies the integration process for certified dealers. By shifting the “heavy lifting” of complex logic to the Automation Engine, dealers can deploy sophisticated shading routines without hours of custom macro programming.
Key user features include:
- Automation Bypass: If a user manually operates a shade via a remote, app, or switch, automation is disabled for that individual shade for a configurable duration (default 3 hours) so the system does not “fight” the user.
- Learned Behaviour: The system learns when users want to adjust what time the shades open in the morning, remembering the earliest time per day-of-the-week to fine-tune when “daytime” logic begins.
- Specialised Modes: A “TV Watching Mode” allows for an immediate, manual override to create the perfect viewing environment in a specific room.
- Broad Compatibility: Supports leading brands including Lutron, Somfy, Hunter Douglas, Automate, BTX, and Screen Innovations.
For More Information, visit www.urc-automation.com
