The 5 Best Solar Powered Skylight Blinds - (Complete UK Guide On Solar Roof Lantern Blinds)
Renewable energy has never been more popular, and the good news is that you can use it to power your skylight blinds.
They are perfectly positioned to harness and use the energy of the sun and they are also really easy to install and manage.
In this article, we will tell you all about solar powered skylight blinds and even show you a few examples of different options you might want to consider.
How Do Solar Powered Skylight Blinds Work?
Solar-powered skylight blinds rely on one thing and one thing only to provide power. The clue is in the name.
Solar-power.
As long as you have access to sunlight for few hours a day, you’ll find that you’ve got an infinite supply of power for your skylight blinds.
Solar-powered skylight blinds have no reliance whatsoever on mains electricity.
The blinds are driven by an electrical motor responsible for opening and closing them. The power for this motor comes from photovoltaic panels.
These panels are positioned to face the sun. They absorb the energy from the suns rays and convert this into DC Power.
It is important to know that solar power skylight blinds are powered by the light of the sun, not the heat provided by its rays, so they will also work in winter.
They don’t need direct sunlight either. There is generally enough ambient light to provide sufficient charge to operate the blinds, even on overcast days.
If you want to know how to get a motorised skylight blind, we’ve got a great guide right here.
Are Solar Powered Skylight Blinds Any Good?
Solar-powered skylight blinds are a great solution. You gain all of the benefits of mains powered blinds while employing an eco-friendly solution. In practice, they work in exactly the same way. The motor drives the blinds.
The benefits of using them are numerous. And if you are worried that they won’t work at night, don’t be. The units store power accumulated during the day, ready to use during low light conditions.
Considering that skylights are usually located in roof areas, there’s no better place to harness solar power. Similar to roof lanterns and conservatories the fact that there is plenty of light penetrating through the glass, it seems crazy not to utilise solar panels.
Because of the way they are fitted, you won’t have to worry about trailing wires or other electricals making your home look untidy either!
In-fact the actual panel itself is small, discreet , yet very effective.
The following picture shows the actual solar-panel used to motorise skylight blinds...
Are Solar Powered Skylight Blinds Easy to Install?
Solar panel skylight blinds are incredibly easy to install. You can effectively consider them a self-contained unit because they don’t need to be plugged into the mains.
This comes with a unique advantage that many people have yet to realise.
Because solar-powered skylight blinds don’t require mains electricity, it is well within your means to fit them yourself without the help of an electrician.
When you consider the cost of blinds, you are gaining significantly as the price difference will easily outweigh the cost of hiring outside help. When you consider that they essentially run on ‘free’ energy, this is a real plus.
The solar-powered skylight blinds provided by Easy Lantern Blinds come with detailed step-by-step instructions. Not only will you be shown how to install the blinds, but you’ll be given great guidance on how to position the photovoltaic panel for maximum efficiency.
Once it is installed, it requires no further attention. You can literally fit it and use them indefinitely!
5 Great Options For The Best Solar Powered Skylight Blinds
When choosing solar-powered skylight blinds, you are going to want plenty of choices. You’d be amazed at the number of options available.
There are different sizes, fabrics, colours and methods used to control the blinds all of which can be made bespoke to your requirements.
Here are some popular options: -
#1 Solar Powered Blind In Frost White & Blackout Option
Blackout blinds don’t have to be dark! The ‘black out’ part refers to keeping sunlight out, but that doesn’t mean your room has to be gloomy. In fact using blackout blinds can be one of the best ways to cover your roof lantern.
You’ll also be able to easily match the colour of your décor. A common choice is frost white. This ensures that the room stays bright and airy, whether you have your solar-powered blinds open or closed.
If it is a bright day, a blackout skylight blind can be a great choice. It completely blocks light from entering the room, so if you are troubled with a glare on your screen or have a particularly bright room that needs little help, they are a great choice.
And the best thing?
If it is bright enough to warrant using a blackout blind for a skylight, there’s a good chance that your photovoltaic panels are drinking all of that green energy from the ambient sunlight!
The white colour of the blind will also work exceptionally well to reflect sunlight, preventing your room from becoming too hot.
This combination can be seen as follows...
Colour - Frost (White)
Material - Blackout
#2 Solar Powered Blind In Chiffon, & Translucent
Blinds can really make a room’s décor stand out. A good solar powered blind can be a feature in its own right. Sometimes you don’t want to block out all of the natural light.
A great option, in this case, is to choose a translucent solar-powered blind.
The weave of the fabric on translucent blinds is slightly thinner. This allows some natural light to filter through the blinds.
This is a particularly great choice for rooms where you want a little ambient light without it being too glaring.
The beauty of solar-powered blinds is that you have the power to alter the light levels easily, 24 hours a day.
If you find that even with translucent blinds, the room is still just a little too dark, you’ll easily be able to open the blind slightly at the touch of a button.
Colour - Chiffon
Material - Translucent
#3 Solar Powered Blind With A Manual, Multi-Channel Controller
If you have a large room, then there is a good chance that you may have more than one skylight. You will want to be able to control the light entering the room at different points.
The ability to control several blinds remotely is a benefit that can’t be overstated.
As an owner of multiple entertainment systems will tell you, keeping track of several remotes can be a real nuisance.
The solution?
One remote to control several systems. A multi-channel controller will allow you to choose which blind you want to control and where. This is achieved all at the press of a button.
The power for the blinds will be continuously topped up with renewable energy from the sun.
There are plenty of reasons to consider a solar-powered skylight blind in this instance. If these blinds were all wired to the mains, it could soon begin to look messy and unsightly.
Furthermore, employing an electrician to wire them up could prove to be costly.
Instead, these self-contained units have a neat, wire-free appearance, and the best bit? You can easily fit all of them yourself.
The multi-channel controller with the ability to control 4 separate blinds.
#4 Solar Powered Blind with The Smart Tahoma Controller
Ideally, when installing solar powered window blinds, you want to be completely wireless. How would you feel if we told you that you could be completely controller-less too?
With a smart Tahoma controller, this is exactly what you can achieve. The Tahoma controller syncs with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. As a result, you’ll be able to control your solar-powered blinds using nothing but your voice!
It is also available with an integrated app, so whether you are using an Ipad, iPhone or Android device, you’ll be able to utilise it to control the light levels within your home.
The controller offers multiple options, pre-programmed settings and offers you the option of controlling more than one blind to give the perfect level of light or shade.
It also integrates with other devices such as plug sockets and light switches, meaning you can put the blinds down and turn the lights up.
The Luxurious Tahoma Smart Controller
#5 Solar Powered Blind with The Smart Connexoon Controller
While the sun is out, your window blind will be charging, which could also mean that the room is becoming uncomfortably warm with your blinds open. The Smart Connexoon controller is the answer.
It can be easily linked to both sun and temperature sensors and programmed using a smartphone app. As a result, you can maintain the perfect level of light without having to lift a finger.
It truly is a fully automatic system. Combined with solar power, it will be available all day, every day.
The Connexoon controller can also be paired with Phillips Hue lamps, allowing you to adjust light levels long after the sun has gone down.
The Smart Connexoon Controller
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of reasons to use solar-powered skylight blinds. They are a green solution, and after the initial fitting, they take care of themselves. If you pick an automated controller, they are even simpler!
You’ll have a means to endlessly power your blinds without the need to utilise an electrician and will be able to control your blinds whether it is day or night.
Easy Lantern Blinds can offer solar blinds along with all of the technology we have discussed above, delivered straight to your door.
Why not check out our homepage and start designing the perfect skylight blinds to suit all your needs or if you would like some more information skylight blinds you may wish to read our complete guide here.
Thanks for reading.
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