Motion triggered lights only after a defined time and before sunrise

Configuration
1

So,

I have setup where outdoor lights turn on at sunset and stay on unconditionally to 11pm. After 11pm, but before sunrise I want them to turn on only, if motion sensors report occupancy. Unfortunally, the following automation does not work, probably due to a collision in the condition statement.

alias: motion lights after permanent lights
trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.motion_sensor
    from: 'off'
    to: 'on'
condition:
  - condition: sun
    before: sunrise
  - condition: time
    after: '23:00:00'
action:
  - service: light.turn_on
    data: {}
    entity_id: light.grp_outdoor_lights
mode: single

I guess - for HA - the time of triggering cannot be between 11pm and before sunrise, what could I do instead?

Cheers

m0wheld

2

Correct, as explained in the docs but you can make the conditions or instead of and as described here.

Isn’t it great we have docs explaining all of this :wink:

3

Try this

condition:
  - condition: or
    conditions:
      - condition: time
        after: '23:00:00'
      - condition: sun
        before: sunrise
4

That would also activate motion-triggered lights before 11pm (after sunset, where they should stay on permantly).

5

Guess I need to go that extra mile for the time from 11pm to midnight.

condition:
  - condition: or
    conditions:
      - condition: time
        after: '23:00:00'
# https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/scripts/conditions/#time-condition
# "If only after key is used, the condition will be true from the specified time until midnight."
      - condition: and
        conditions:
          - condition: time
            after: '00:00:00'
          - condition: sun
            before: sunrise
6

No it doesn’t, read the docs I linked.

7

You are correct and so is @sheminasalam.

For the record:

Note that if only before key is used, the condition will be true from midnight until sunrise/sunset. If only after key is used, the condition will be true from sunset/sunrise until midnight . Therefore, to cover time between sunset and sunrise one need to use after: sunset and before: sunrise as 2 separate conditions and combine them using or .