Norman USA make a solution they call Perfect Tilt G4 for their plantation shutters to allow powered opening and closing. It allows grouping multiple shutters so multiple ones can be simultaneously controlled - ideal for tier on tier sets. It has a hub, a remote control and solar panel to help extend the lithium ion battery power. It also has an iOS app for phone control.
As should be obvious the above is for the USA. I have found however the identical product sold in the UK under the brand PowerMotion.
Norman USA will not speak to me because I am not a reseller and not in the USA. UK resellers have no clue about the technology.
What I am trying to establish is what if any smart home connectivity could be used with it. With a hub and app it would seem it could do this but websites make no reference to this - not even things like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant support, let alone things like Matter, Smartthings etc.
Is anyone familiar with this product and able to advise? Relevant links are below.
Note: I have seen responses in another thread in this forum discussing more the possibility of a DIY solution which could be linked to Home Assistant via MQTT. However I would prefer an off-the-shelf solution rather than having to make custom boards, 3D printing cases etc.
I would like to do exactly the same (after a disaster with a different company who didn’t deliver). Does anyone know if there is any integration possible with PerfectTilt shutters?
@RichieGP Let me know if you hear anything, by the way are you US or UK based?
For what it’s worth I have since found the following additional brands, neither of which seem to help for me in the UK.
Hunter Douglas make plantation shutters and optional smart automation called PowerView. They are US but do have a UK partner called Luxaflex but the UK partner does not sell the PowerView solution for plantation shutters.
I also found a company called Levolor - again US only, who also make plantation shutters and have their own automation system called InMotion. These actually look the best I have seen and have the unique capability to have one motor operate both the left and right hand shutters - see video. This halves the number of motors needed.
If you are in the US and happen to speak to them, can you ask if they have a UK partner or would be willing to work with a UK partner? Perhaps a UK shutter maker could buy just their InMotion motors etc. and fit them to UK made shutters.
Hi! I’m looking at the same product too.
Here’s what I think I have worked out:
The PerfectTilt / PowerMotion / ShadeAuto stuff is all made by Norman.
The system consists of G4 motors which have a USB-chargeable lithium-ion battery. Each unit also has a solar cell to top the battery up, so you might get away with never having to charge it via USB (or at least you might need to do so less frequently).
These motors are controlled by the Dial remote, which has 5 channels that can be linked to individual motors, plus a 6th “all” channel.
This can all be linked to a Hub, which allows control and setup via an app.
There are two generations of Hub, and each has a different app.
Page 18 of the second-gen Hub manual covers:
“11. How to pair your Gen 2 Hub with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home”
As there is no mention of this in the first-gen Hub manual, I suspect there may not be any support (perhaps that Hub was just to facilitate app control, which brings schedules etc.)
It looks like the first generation of Hub uses the “Norman remote control” app: On the App Store it’s /norman-remote-control/ id1450601517
(As a new user I can’t seem to post more than two links per post, but you can work out the first part of the App Store URL)
There’s no mention of an Android app that I could see.
The second generation of Hub uses the “ShadeAuto” app:
On the App Store it’s /shadeauto/id1670251004
And there’s an Android version also.
Minimum louvre size is 63mm according to this, which chimes with what a fitter told me.
The USB is microUSB.
There are coloured rings available (as extras) for the Dial (I suppose so you can tell which is which if you have more than one and they wander). You get a black one in the box.
@tecnodweeb
Many thanks for digging out all that information. The 2nd get hub seems to do what I am looking for with support for HomeKit and other smart assistants. Via HomeKit it would also be possible to add it to Home Assistant.
If only five sets of shutters can be added that would be a limitation. I am anticipating adding six windows with shutters and hence would need to define six different sets. However based on your information it is so far the best option for UK users.
UPDATE - had a thought, it would cost more, but perhaps using two or more hubs would allow adding more shutters sets. It should be possible to add multiple hubs to HomeKit although it is not clear if the app will control multiple hubs. As a comparison Philips Hue have only recently updated their software to make it easier to use multiple hubs for larger numbers of lights.
I would still say the Levolor product seems by far the best solution but so far only available to North American users. If anyone is able to speak to them and ask if they might themselves address the UK market or add a UK partner that would be very helpful.
Five channels (plus “all”) per remote.
Each channel can control an individual motor or a group or motors, it seems.
You can have 20 remotes per hub.
And a maximum of 100 devices (motors) per hub.
Not sure how you plan to have your shutters but as you say “sets” if you mean a pair of shutters per window then that suggests two shutters = two motors per window, if so then 6 windows would be 12 motors (well within the hub’s limit, and presumably with the app or any smarthome integration that’s all that matters). If you also want to use the remote then you might have to think about grouping some windows (perhaps makes sense if they are in the same room / on the same wall?) or a second remote.
Nien is a Taiwanese manufacturer of - amongst other things - shutters.
A fitter said that the shutters are made in Taiwan.
Pretty much every shutter company I’ve come across have shutter ranges with the same material options (sometimes even the same names), and colour options (again, same names).
I read a few weeks ago a post that said “all the shutters in the UK are made in the same factory in China (sic)”
I suspect that most of the shutters available here are made in Taiwan by Nien and that this also explains why everyone is using the Norman (=Nien) automation.
@tecnodweeb
Thanks again. I would have six windows, one is a bay window, one is a double (two) windows side-by-side. Windows are all box sash windows.
I intend to get tier-on-tier so even a single normal window would require a minimum of four motors. This is where the Levolor product has a particular advantage as the left and right halves use the same motor so a tier-on-tier would only need top and bottom motors i.e. two instead of four.
A quick estimation would be 32 motors and 6 remotes and thanks to your info one hub. With Levolor it would be only 18 motors.
@tecnodweeb
Hunter Douglas own Luxaflex as their UK partner. I spoke to Luxaflex some time ago and despite this they did not sell the Hunter Douglas motor solution.
Note: The Hunter Douglas automated shutters are only available in plastic i.e. PolySatin and not timber.
I will give TheGreatShutterCo a ring, their stores are however not as convenient for me. As they specifically say they do multiple brands including Hunter Douglas/Luxaflex they might be open to looking at also adding Levolor.
PlantationShutters who you linked to for the documents are convenient and I will visit them as well.
Your valuable assistance has reassured me that Norman/PowerTilt would be a workable solution although I will see if I can get anywhere with Levolor before making a final decision.
