Sun-sensor automation
The clearest case for motorized solar shades. Sensor reads light intensity, drops the shade on bright afternoons, retracts at sunset on its own.
Smart-Home Outdoor Sun Shades
Solar shades that pair with TaHoma, Alexa, Google, HomeKit.
Talius Habitat motorized shades with Somfy tubular motors. Pair with the TaHoma bridge for voice control, schedules, sun-sensor automation, and scenes through your existing smart-home setup.
- Canadian-made by Talius
- Custom-fit, every install
- Free no-pressure consult
- Across Ontario
- 10-year warranty
- Transparent pricing
What you get
Local control, smart-home on top.
Every motorized Talius Habitat solar shade ships with a hardwired wall switch and a handheld RTS remote at no extra cost. Both work without internet, without an app, and without any setup.
The Somfy TaHoma bridge pairs the motor with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit. Once paired, the shade behaves like any other smart device on your network. Voice command, schedules, geofencing, and scene triggers all work the same way as your smart bulbs or thermostat. The bridge talks to the motor over RTS radio and exposes the shade to your hub through standard smart-home protocols.
Sun sensor and wind sensor add-ons are the killer apps on solar-shade installs. The sun sensor reads light intensity and deploys the shade above a set threshold. The wind sensor reads gust speed and auto-retracts above a set threshold to protect the mesh. Both pair to the same Somfy controller and work whether or not you ever set up smart-home pairing.
What smart-home pairing adds
Four ways smart-home earns its place on shades.
Voice control
'Drop the shade,' 'open the back deck shade,' or 'shade off' as a routine. Works the same way as your smart-bulb or thermostat commands.
Wind-driven auto-retract
Solar mesh acts like a sail on wide openings. Wind sensor pulls the shade up before a storm hits, even if you're not home.
Off-property control
Drop the shade on your way home from work. Open it before guests arrive at the cottage. The Somfy app reaches the shade from anywhere with internet.
How the integration works
Motor → TaHoma → your smart-home hub.
The chain is short: Somfy tubular motor in the shade headbox, RTS radio out to the TaHoma bridge, ethernet or wifi from the bridge to your network, and standard smart-home protocols out to Alexa, Google Home, and HomeKit. The TaHoma bridge is the translator between RTS radio and the protocols your smart-home hub speaks.
Setup runs once during install. We pair the shade with the bridge, you pair the bridge with your hub, and from that point the shade shows up as a device in Alexa or Google Home or HomeKit. Add it to rooms, scenes, and routines the same way you'd add any other device.
- Somfy TaHoma bridge: ethernet or wifi to your router
- Sun sensor: pairs to the same motor, fires above light threshold
- Wind sensor: pairs to the same motor, fires above gust threshold
- Alexa: native skill, voice command + routines
- Google Home: native integration, voice command + routines
- Apple HomeKit: works through TaHoma's HomeKit support
- Multi-bridge installs supported on large properties
Where smart-home pairing fits best
Three scenarios smart pairing pays back on shades.
West-facing decks
Sun-sensor automation handles the 4 PM glare without you watching the weather. The shade comes down when the sun hits, retracts at sunset, and you stop thinking about it.
Existing smart-home households
Already running Alexa, Google Home, or HomeKit? The shade joins your routines for free. Add it to wake-up scenes, movie-night scenes, away-mode automations.
Lakefront and exposed installs
Wind-sensor auto-retract protects the mesh from storms when nobody's watching. Off-property app control lets you fire the retract from your phone if a forecast shifts.
Our Process
From first call to final install.
Three steps. No surprises. Most installs ship within 3–4 weeks of the consult.
Book a free quote
Tell us your opening size, what you're solving for, and your city. We respond within one business day.
Consult & measure
An installer visits your patio, takes measurements, walks you through mesh and motor options. No-pressure, no charge.
Install
Custom build at our shop, then a half-day install on your patio. You're using it the same evening.
What it costs
TaHoma is a known add-on, not a price reset.
The TaHoma bridge plus paired-install setup is a known additional step on top of a motorized solar shade install. Most Ontario buyers add it on the first install rather than retrofitting later because the install crew can pair it once and walk you through the smart-home setup the same day. Sun and wind sensors are separate add-ons that pair to the same controller. We send the smart-home, sensor, and basic motorized prices on the same quote so you can compare.
- Number of shades and screens on the same property
- Whether you already own a smart-home hub (Alexa, Google, HomeKit)
- Sun sensor add-on (high-value on west-facing installs)
- Wind sensor add-on (high-value on lakefront and rooftop installs)
- Multi-channel handheld remote (1, 5, or 16 channels)
Common Questions
What buyers ask first.
Related reading
Helpful pages for next steps.
- Motorized outdoor sun shadesThe base motorized install before adding TaHoma
- Smart-home patio screens guideDeep-dive on TaHoma, Alexa, Google Home, and HomeKit pairing
- West-facing decks at 4 PM glareWhy sun-sensor automation is the right call on the west wall
- Talius solar mesh density guidePicking between 55, 90, 95, and 99 percent blockage
Other service
Solving for the other half?
Same retractable hardware on a track, different mesh. Bug protection on one side, sun and heat on the other. Bundled installs save on the second unit.
See smart-home patio screensGet a Free Quote
Free site visit. Honest quote on the spot.
Tell us your opening size, what you're solving for, and your city. We respond within one business day with available consult times and a starting price range.