Somfy LED Awning Light Kit Guide to Dimming, Remotes and Power

A retractable awning gives you shade until about 8 p.m. After that the patio goes dark, and the awning becomes a big canvas roof over a space you can no longer see. The Somfy LED 24V Light Control Awning Kit Cool White (X4 strips) (1871608) puts light on the awning itself and hands control to the same RTS remote that already runs the motor. Two questions decide whether it fits your job: does the awning run on a Somfy RTS motor, and do you want soft ambient light or strong task light under the fabric?

Awnings that suit the Somfy LED awning light kit

Somfy builds this kit for motorized awnings, and it lists awnings as the application. The four light bars mount on the awning arms, so a lateral-arm retractable awning is the natural home. Somfy rates the kit for new or existing installations, which means a homeowner can add lights to an awning that has hung over the deck for years.

The fit test sits in the motor. Somfy designed the kit around Somfy Radio Technology (RTS), and it works with the full range of RTS motors, controls and accessories. For the simplest wiring, Somfy recommends pairing its RTS lighting control with a 500 series RTS motor that uses fast connectors, such as the Sunea. If your awning already runs a Sunea, Orea or Altus RTS motor, you are in good shape. If you are searching for SunSetter awning lights or lights for another brand, check the motor label first. Our guide to checking a SunSetter awning for a Somfy fit walks through that label.

Kit specs verified with Somfy

Somfy calls this a plug-and-play kit. You install the LED bars without an electrician, and the lights answer the same RTS control as the awning. The numbers that change a buying decision:

Somfy also sells a warm white version for owners who want a softer tone over a dining table. Cool white reads crisper and suits grilling stations and work areas.

Mounting the bars: ambient light or task light

Somfy gives two mounting choices, and the choice shapes the patio. Mount the bars on top of the awning arms and the light washes up into the fabric, giving soft, muted ambient light. Turn them to face down and the bars throw stronger light onto the table or grill below.

An installer can split the difference. Two bars face up on the outer arms for mood, and two face down near the house wall for task light. Plan cable runs before you drill. Somfy's LED system uses 24V LEDs with 5.5 x 2.5 mm barrel connectors, and Somfy offers extension and splitter cables when a bar sits far from the power point.

Dimmable LED RTS control and the "my" level

Somfy's kit gives you 12 brightness levels. The Somfy "my" function saves your favorite level, so one press brings the lights back to dinner brightness without stepping through the range.

The Somfy Situo 5 Variation RTS Pure II Remote (1811612) is the remote Somfy recommends for this kit. Its center scroll wheel steps through the 12 dimming levels one click at a time, and Somfy lists RTS LED lights among the devices that wheel adjusts. With five channels, one remote can run the awning motor and the lights, with channels to spare for screens and shades.

Pairing the lights with your awning motor remote

RTS lets one transmitter store several receivers, and Somfy built the kit to run from the same control as the awning. Give the lights their own channel. The awning keeps channel 1, and the lights take the next open channel. A single press then opens the awning or brings up the lights, and neither command disturbs the other.

Patio remotes work too. The Somfy Telis 1 Channel RTS Patio Remote (1810643) suits a dedicated light switch for the patio, and the Somfy Telis 4 RTS Multi-Channel Patio Remote (1810645) covers the awning, the lights and two more outdoor products. For step-by-step dimming, Somfy points to the scroll wheel on the Situo 5 Variation. Follow the PROG steps in Somfy's instructions for the LED receiver to add the lights to a channel. Our guide to picking a Somfy remote for your awning motor covers channel planning in more depth.

Somfy also lists the kit as compatible with the Somfy app, so a TaHoma setup can fold the lights into an evening scene.

Power and the LED RTS 24V DC Receiver for bigger lighting plans

The kit runs its LED bars at 24V DC from a power supply rated 90-240V AC, 50-60Hz. Put a weather-protected outlet near the awning's wall end and the job stays low voltage from the supply onward.

Some projects outgrow four bars. A pergola beside the awning or path lighting along the deck calls for the Somfy LED RTS 24V DC Receiver (1870872). Somfy's spec sheet gives it these numbers:

The receiver answers a standard Somfy RTS transmitter or the incremental control of the Situo Variation. In RGB+1 mode it adds color effects, including auto dim up and down and automatic color change. An installer can light the pergola and the garden beds as separate zones from one remote.

Buy the 1871608 kit when the goal is light on one awning, with dimming from the awning remote. Step up to the 1870872 receiver when the lighting plan spans several zones or needs color. Both carry Somfy's 5-year warranty and both talk RTS, so the remote you buy today keeps working as the outdoor room grows. Add wind protection while you plan, too. Our guide to Somfy wind, sun and rain sensors for awnings covers the sensor side.

For a multi-room RTS home, the Somfy Situo 5 Channel RTS Pure Remote (1870575) makes a good second remote for the kitchen door. Keep the Variation model at the patio, where the dimming wheel earns its place.

FAQ

Does the Somfy LED awning light kit dim?

Yes. Somfy gives the LED 24V Light Control Awning Kit 12 brightness levels. The Situo 5 Variation RTS remote steps through them with its center scroll wheel, and the Somfy "my" button saves a favorite level. One press then brings the lights back to that setting without scrolling through the full range again.

Can I control the awning lights with my awning motor remote?

Yes, if the remote is Somfy RTS. Somfy built the kit to run from the same control as the awning, and it works with the full range of RTS motors and controls. Assign the lights their own channel on a multi-channel remote. The awning keeps its channel, and each press reaches only the device you picked.

Does the awning LED kit need special power?

No. The light bars run on 24V DC. Somfy lists the kit's power supply as 90-240V AC at 50-60Hz, so it plugs into standard household power near the awning. Somfy designed the kit as plug and play, which lets a homeowner install the bars without an electrician once an outdoor-rated outlet sits within reach.

Do I need the LED RTS 24V DC Receiver instead?

Choose the 1870872 receiver for lighting beyond four awning bars. It drives four independent dimmable outputs at 100W each, up to 400W total, or one RGB full-color zone plus one single-color zone. Somfy rates it IP 65 and runs it from a standard RTS transmitter or the Situo Variation for incremental control.

Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.