I’m looking for a solution with a battery-operated lux sensor. Does anyone have any ideas?
https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005007091502065.html
teh Aqara Light Sensor T1 is the most recomended
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Many motion sensors have lux-sensor on board as well.
Here are three solutions. Considerations:
- You should have an enclosure
- I have no experience with this lux sensor
- I have had very positive experiences with the software and other hardware.
- The software has HA integrations and are HA self-configuring, but requires configuration/programming on the hardware side.
Powered by battery
- lux sensor TSL2561 $2.75
- ESP-12F $1.58
- AA battery carrier $0.97
- AA batteries, 2X ~ $1.50
Software is Tasmota
OR
- lux sensor TSL2561 $2.75
- ESP-01S $1.58
- ESP-01 break out board $1.25
- charge controller board $0.78
- 18650 battery carrier $0.66
- 18650 battery (caveat emptor! Cheaper ones have lower mAhs … don’t believe specs) $1 to $12
Software is Tasmota
Powered by PC
- lux sensor TSL2561 $2.75
- Arduino Nano $3.03
- USB C cable $2.26
Software is MySensors
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Is it really for outdoor? I thought it’s only IP 44.
Can I communicate via Bluetooth and Shelly Bluetooth gateway?
The last time I communicated via Zigbee, it didn’t work. I think I need a new gateway or stick. Do you have any recommendations?
Thanks for your suggestion.
Is there a reason why you don’t suggest the BH1750?
Do you think the battery works with WiFi? How often would it need to be changed?
I haven’t seen any battery-operated WiFi modules yet.
Thanks everyone 
No, there is a Tasmota configuration for this, too.
WiFi is an energy hog, so it is avoided. When I think about it, it’s not a great solution because the WiFi would have to be ON all the time or spend a lot of time in the wake period trying to reconnect.
MySensors would be a better way to go. Two Arduinos with nRF24 radios. One is a gateway and the other a sensor. The gateway is as above. The sensor has the batteries as described above.
The battery saving technique is to go into low power mode for a period of time (depending on the requirements of you project), “wake”, capture data, send data, “sleep”. The capture data may take awhile (1s?) because the reading has to “settle”
@MelleD A social hint: the community has a lot of collective experience which was obtained by investing personal resources. Not so subtly, at this point, I advise you gain experience and share that experience with the community.
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What is your use case for a lux sensor? Do you need to know the lux or just if it’s dark, sunny or daytime? Are you prepared to build something yourself?
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what do you use on HomeAssistant ZHA or Z2M?
there is so many adapters that you can use
this one is really cheap and it works.
SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus ZBDongle-P
just remember you need a healthy mesh , so having only 1 device on your mesh is not recommended as many zigbee devices work as a repeater .
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I would like to control by blinds and shutter via lux(sunny, runny, cloudy) & sun azimuth/evelation for east, south and west.
Maybe :). I’m trying to figure that out right now. I’m not a hardware expert, more into software. But I built a CO-2 sensor with MH-Z19 and ESP Home, for example. It even still works 
Currently nothing just WIFI, Bluetooth & homeatic.
This is my favorite, but at the moment I don’t know if a stick for €30 is worth it if you only have one device, but you have to start somewhere :P.
The current alternative is from homeatic.
Yes thats my experience too.
Ok I have to look into that, first I was looking for something with Bluetooth (there are some gateways currently around) as communication protocol.
Thanks for the hint, but when you look at my github account and my posts, are you afraid that I don’t share my experience or not grabbing knowledge without helping others?
Sun integration is good for tracking sun. You could build a light sensor with esp8266/esp32 with a photoresistor. Use deepsleep. An 18650 cell to power and a solar panel with tp4056 to control charging. Stick it all in a glass case with cover like a lunch box.
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Not at all @MelleD! This was my feeble attempt at encouraging you to build your own. I now see that you have sufficient experience!
I second @Spiro 's idea. I do that for a soil moisture sensor. I designed an enclosure for the battery and charge board and a bracket for the solar panel.
Ok my (lazy!) solution was to reuse my Shelly BLU Motion with a IP 65 cover case with a transparent side.