Using Sensors with Your Lutron Lighting System

Automating your lights to follow a schedule is handy, but a schedule can’t predict what’s really going on at home. If it’s a stormy, cloudy day (a common occurrence here in Medina, WA), your Lutron lighting system won’t know that it should open the drapes and turn on the LEDs to get some light. Likewise, if it’s starting to get darker earlier each day of fall, a schedule won’t be able to account for the changing night sky. 

That’s where sensors come in handy. Lutron’s occupancy and daylight sensors are essential to a complete smart lighting experience. Learn how they work and can enhance a Lutron lighting system below. 

SEE ALSO: 3 Ways Tunable Lighting Can Better Your Lifestyle Indoors 

How Do Lutron Sensors Work? 

Lutron’s occupancy sensors aren’t actually spying on your home with tiny cameras. The system uses pyroelectric sensors that convert infrared light emanating from a person into an electrical charge. Lutron’s light sensors work in a similar fashion, detecting when a room is filled with sufficient sunlight. 

Using Maestro Occupancy Sensors 

Lutron’s Maestro occupancy sensors are a handy way to illuminate rooms that are occupied while saving energy in vacant rooms. By mounting the Maestro sensors on the wall, you can automate LED, incandescent, and halogen lights, as well as fans and low-voltage devices. 

Maestro sensors offer a variety of customization options and features, including:  

• Timers to operate fans or lights for 5-60 minutes 
• Timers for exhaust fans in bathrooms to reduce moisture 
• Fade-to-off feature to leave rooms before lights turn off 
• Multi-location dimming 
• Remembers settings after a power failure 
• Adjustable motion sensitivity 
• LED indicators on dimmer change as time counts down 

Lutron systems are smart enough to understand the context provided by your Maestro switch. It knows that if you turn off a light, it won’t immediately turn back on as you move about the room. You can lock in dimming presets, so if you want to always keep lights at 50 percent brightness and have lights fade off in one second, the system will remember every time you turn lights on or off.  

Lutron Daylight Sensors 

Lutron offers the wireless Radio Powr Savr as a daylight sensor. It can help you save energy by dimming or turning off lights—or opening/closing motorized shades—when it detects sufficient daylight. If it’s a cloudy day and your rooms are growing dark, the sensor will tell your system to brighten the lights to your preferred brightness levels and color temperature. 

The Radio Powr Savr can integrate with your Lutron lighting control system to help you save energy and brighten the house when needed.  

Where to Find Lutron Solutions in Medina, WA 

Whether you already own a Lutron system or are just exploring lighting control systems, Wipliance is here to help. We design and install lighting solutions in homes all around the Medina, Washington, area. Contact us here to get started today!