Short answer: Somfy's wired low voltage motors run on 24V DC from a Somfy power supply. The Sonesse 30 family fits tubes from 1.13 in inside diameter at 2 Nm and comes in RTS, Zigbee, dry contact and RS485 versions. The Sonesse ULTRA 504A8 brings 4 Nm at 35 dB to a 1.85 in tube. For 12V, look at Somfy's WireFree battery range.
Somfy publishes a separate Low Voltage Databook for these motors, and it opens with the reason buyers choose them: the motors are "low-voltage to simplify installation," and a plug-in option "eliminates the need for an electrician." A thin two-conductor cable replaces a line voltage circuit at the window. The trade is a power supply somewhere upstream.
Choosing the right model comes down to four questions. Each section below answers one, and the table in the middle sets the motors side by side.
Somfy low voltage: 24V DC wired or 12V battery
Low voltage covers two main power types in the Somfy range, and they do not share power parts.
- 24V DC wired. The wired families in Somfy's Low Voltage Databook run on 24V DC from a Somfy transformer or distribution enclosure. Somfy rates the Sonesse 30 for 21.6 to 26.4 V at the motor.
- 12V DC battery. In the Somfy range, 12V points to the WireFree Li-ion motors, such as the Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree. They recharge from a Somfy charger or a solar panel, and our WireFree vs wired comparison covers that family.
A third, smaller group runs on 48V DC Power over Ethernet. Somfy's PoE motors take power and data over one Cat5e cable from a PoE switch, up to 328 ft from the power source, and suit commercial jobs with a network backbone.
The rest of this guide covers the 24V DC wired motors. Most searches for a Somfy low voltage motor mean these.
The Somfy 24V DC motors side by side
Five 24V DC motors cover most interior roller shade jobs. Four share the Sonesse 30 body and differ in how they take commands. The fifth steps up to the 50 mm ULTRA platform for torque and silence.
| Motor | Torque / speed | Min. tube inside diameter | Noise | Control |
| Sonesse 30 RTS 24V DC (1241142) | 2 Nm (17.7 in-lb) / 25 rpm | 1.13 in (28.7 mm) | 47 dB | RTS radio, 433.420 MHz |
| Sonesse 30 Zigbee 24V DC (1241970) | 2 Nm (17.7 in-lb) / 25 rpm | 1.13 in (28.7 mm) | 47 dB | Zigbee 3.0, 2.450 GHz |
| Sonesse 30 DCT 24V DC (1241146) | 2 Nm (17.7 in-lb) / 25 rpm | 1.13 in (28.7 mm) | 47 dB | Dry contact, wired |
| Sonesse 30 RS485 24V DC (1241144) | 2 Nm (17.7 in-lb) / 25 rpm | 1.13 in (28.7 mm) | 47 dB | RS485 for SDN, wired |
| Sonesse ULTRA 504A8 RTS 24V DC (1134023) | 4 Nm (35.4 in-lb) / 25 rpm | 1.85 in (47 mm) | 35 dB | RTS radio, 433.420 MHz |
The four Sonesse 30 versions carry an IP 30 rating, a round head and electronic limits. The ULTRA 504A8 carries IP 20 and a square head. Somfy covers each one with its 5-year warranty.
Pick the control version for the building
Inside the Sonesse 30 family, torque and tube fit stay the same. The control version decides what talks to the motor.
The Somfy Sonesse 30 RTS 24V DC Motor (1241142) suits most homes. It pairs with Situo and Telis remotes, DecoFlex wall switches and the TaHoma Switch, and Somfy lists 12 memory slots for transmitters. Pick it for a house with existing RTS controls.
The Somfy Sonesse 30 Zigbee 24V DC Motor (1241970) runs two-way Zigbee 3.0, so the TaHoma app shows where each shade sits. A mains-powered Zigbee motor also repeats signals across the mesh, which helps a large house where battery shades sit far from the hub.
The Somfy Sonesse 30 DCT 24V DC Motor (1241146) has no radio. A contact closure moves it, from a Somfy dry contact wall switch or from the relay outputs of a third-party control system. Somfy caps the run from motor to wall switch at 23 ft on AWG24 wire.
The Somfy Sonesse 30 RS485 24V DC Motor (1241144) joins the Somfy Digital Network. Pick it for commercial jobs where each motor needs an address and two-way status on a wired bus.
Sonesse 30 or Sonesse ULTRA 50: torque, tube and noise
Tube size sets the first limit. A Sonesse 30 drops into a tube with a 1.13 in inside diameter, which keeps a small roller shade or a shallow cassette slim. The Somfy Sonesse ULTRA 504A8 RTS 24V DC Motor (1134023) needs at least 1.85 in, so it pairs with 2 in and larger tubes.
Torque sets the second. The Sonesse 30 delivers 2 Nm, enough for a typical residential roller shade. The ULTRA 504A8 doubles that to 4 Nm for wider blackout panels and heavier fabrics. Run the shade weight and tube size through our guide on how to size a Somfy shade motor before you order.
Noise can decide the rest. Somfy rates the ULTRA 504A8 at 35 dB against 47 dB for the Sonesse 30. In a bedroom or a conference room, that gap is the reason to choose the ULTRA. Both motors run at 25 rpm by default, and Somfy's databook lists an adjustable speed range on each one, which helps a row of mixed shades travel together.
One fit detail catches buyers. The ULTRA 504A8 has a square head, so it mounts in the Sonesse ULTRA 50 DC bracket. A star-head or round-head bracket from another Sonesse motor will not hold it.
Powering a 24V DC motor: plug-in or enclosure
Somfy prints one firm rule on its low voltage motor pages: use only Somfy power supplies to maintain the UL listing and the motor's performance. Two routes cover most jobs.
A single shade near an outlet runs from the Somfy 24V DC Plug-in Wall Mount Transformer (1822209). It plugs into a standard receptacle and feeds one motor, with no new circuit and no electrician.
A room or a floor of shades runs from a distribution enclosure. The Somfy 24V Power Distribution Enclosure for 10 Motors (1870192) takes 120V, 60Hz in and gives each motor its own 24V DC Class 2 output rated 2 A. Somfy builds it to NEMA 1 for indoor mounting, and its enclosure guide calls for a licensed electrician to install it. Five, 15 and 20 motor versions follow the same layout.
Cable gauge sets the longest run from the supply to the motor. Somfy publishes these limits for its 24V DC motors:
| 14 AWG | Up to 240 ft |
| 16 AWG | Up to 150 ft |
| 18 AWG | Up to 100 ft |
Plan the enclosure location around those figures. A motor 180 ft from the panel needs 14 AWG. One 90 ft away runs fine on 18 AWG. Our Somfy power supply guide compares the plug-in and enclosure options in more depth.
Low voltage or 120V AC for your project
The building tends to pick the voltage. Use these rules of thumb.
- Interior roller shades in new construction: 24V DC. Low voltage cable pulls before drywall, and one enclosure feeds up to 20 motors.
- A retrofit beside an existing outlet: a 24V DC motor on the plug-in transformer, or a WireFree battery motor where no outlet exists.
- Exterior awnings and rolling shutters: 120V AC. Somfy rates its 24V DC motors IP 20 and IP 30 for interior use, and the high-torque LT50 and LT60 families run on line voltage.
- Commercial floors with a control system: the Sonesse 30 RS485 or a dry contact motor, wired to the integrator's panel.
Our guide to Somfy hardwired motors on 120V AC and 24V DC covers the line voltage side, including 4-wire switching. The full range of 24V DC and PoE motors sits in our Somfy low voltage and PoE motors collection, and install guides for each reference live in the Somfy spec library.
Frequently asked questions
Are Somfy low voltage motors 12V or 24V?
Somfy's wired low voltage motors run on 24V DC. The Low Voltage Databook lists the Sonesse 30 RTS, Zigbee, dry contact and RS485 motors and the Sonesse ULTRA 50 DC motors at 24V DC, with PoE models on 48V DC. For 12V, Somfy offers the WireFree Li-ion battery line, which recharges from a Somfy charger or solar panel and suits windows with no power nearby.
Can I run a Somfy 24V DC motor from a non-Somfy power supply?
Somfy's databook says to use only Somfy power supplies to maintain the UL listing and guarantee the motor's performance. For one shade, the Somfy 24V DC plug-in transformer (1822209) plugs into a standard outlet. For several shades, a Somfy distribution enclosure such as the 10-motor 1870192 gives each motor its own 24V DC output.
Can a Somfy 24V DC motor sit 200 ft from its power supply?
Yes, on 14 AWG cable. Somfy sets the limit by gauge: a 14 AWG run reaches up to 240 ft, 16 AWG up to 150 ft, and 18 AWG up to 100 ft. Measure the actual cable path, not the straight-line distance, and step up a gauge if the run lands near a limit. The figures come from Somfy's Low Voltage Databook.
Is the Sonesse ULTRA 504A8 quieter than the Sonesse 30?
Yes. Somfy rates the Sonesse ULTRA 504A8 RTS 24V DC (1134023) at 35 dB and the Sonesse 30 RTS 24V DC (1241142) at 47 dB. The ULTRA also delivers 4 Nm against 2 Nm. It needs a 1.85 in minimum tube inside diameter and a square-head ULTRA 50 DC bracket, while the Sonesse 30 fits tubes from 1.13 in.
Sources: Somfy Low Voltage Databook (2026.08.04); somfypro.com product records 1241142, 1241970, 1241146, 1241144 and 1134023; Somfy Enclosure Kits RTS guide (7/2022); somfysystems.com product records 1822209 and 1870192.
Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.
