Somfy Sonesse 30 Motor Versions Compared and Which to Order

Short answer: Somfy builds the Sonesse 30 in seven current versions on one 30 mm motor body, with a minimum tube inside diameter of 1.13 to 1.14 in. Choose power first: 24V DC wired, Power over Ethernet, or an embedded 12V Li-ion battery. Then choose control: RTS radio, Zigbee 3.0, dry contact, or SDN. Six versions give 2 Nm; the PoE model gives 1.5 Nm.

Seven Sonesse 30 versions on one motor body

The Sonesse 30 is Somfy's 30 mm tubular motor for interior roller shades, solar shades and smaller projection screens. Somfy keeps the motor body and the round head constant and changes two things around them: the power source and the control receiver. That design choice is good news for an installer. Crowns, drives and tube sizes carry across the family, so the shade hardware decision and the control decision stay separate.

The table below lines up the seven versions Shade Motors Direct stocks. Torque, speed and noise figures come from Somfy's published product records.

Somfy rates the wired 24V versions IP 30 and the WireFree pair IP 20, and lists interior window coverings as the application across the range. Exterior screens and awnings belong to the sealed Somfy LT50 and Maestria families.

Wired 24V DC, PoE or battery: the power decision

Start at the window. Ask whether low-voltage cable reaches the shade pocket, or can reach it before the drywall closes.

• 24V DC wired suits new construction and remodels. A single shade runs from the Somfy 24V DC 1.67 Amp Plug-in Wall Mount Transformer (1822209), which Somfy lists as a Sonesse 30 accessory. Banks of shades move to a Somfy power distribution enclosure, sized at 5, 10, 15 or 20 motors.
• Power over Ethernet suits commercial floors with a structured cabling plan. One Cat cable carries both power and data to the motor.
• WireFree Li-ion suits finished rooms, rentals and windows far from an outlet. The battery lives inside the motor and recharges through a port at the head.

Our guide to choosing a Somfy power supply for 24V DC shade motors covers wire gauge, run length and enclosure sizing for wired jobs.

RTS, Zigbee, dry contact or SDN: the control decision

The receiver sits inside the motor head, so the control choice gets locked in at ordering. Pick the one that matches the remotes, switches or building system already on the job.

• RTS (1241142 and 1003310) pairs with Somfy's RTS remotes, DecoFlex wall switches and RTS hubs. The Somfy Situo 5 Channel RTS Pure Remote (1870575) runs five shades or groups from one handset. Somfy publishes 656.2 ft of open-field range for the ULTRA 30 WireFree RTS.
• Zigbee 3.0 (1241970 and 1241752) joins a Zigbee network through a Zigbee-capable TaHoma Switch and reports shade position back to the app. Somfy publishes 492.15 ft of open-field range for the wired 1241970 and 262.48 ft for the battery 1241752. RTS remotes will not drive either motor.
• Dry contact (1241146) takes a hard-wired switch such as the Somfy Dry Contact Open, Close, Stop Wall Switch (1800219), or a contact closure from a third-party control panel.
• SDN (1241144 over RS485, 1241147 over Ethernet) addresses each motor on a Somfy Digital Network for commercial and integrated residential projects. The PoE motor connects through the Somfy SDN Power over Ethernet (PoE) Gateway (1860326).

Our comparison of Somfy RTS vs Zigbee walks through feedback, range and hub needs if the job sits between the two radios.

Tube fit, crowns and drives across the family

Measure the inside of the shade tube. Somfy publishes a minimum tube inside diameter of 1.13 in (28.7 mm) for the wired versions and the WireFree RTS, and 1.14 in for the WireFree Zigbee. A 1 in tube will not take any Sonesse 30, and no adapter changes that. For lighter fabric on a small tube, the Sonesse 28 and Roll Up 28 families fill that gap.

Above that floor, the crown and drive set has to match the tube profile. Somfy lists both the RollEase 1.5 in set and the RollEase/ZMC 2 in set against the wired Sonesse 30 RTS as well as the WireFree motors. A 1.5 in RollEase tube takes the Somfy Sonesse 30 WireFree RollEase 1.5 in Crown and Drive (9020674). Use 30 mm class crowns and drives on these motors; 40 mm parts will not seat on the head.

Our explainer on Somfy crowns, drives and brackets matches the other common tube profiles, including Acmeda, Louvolite and Hunter Douglas.

Torque, speed and noise: sizing the shade

At 2 Nm, a Sonesse 30 handles the light to medium interior roller shades found in bedrooms, offices and conference rooms. Heavy blackout fabric on a wide opening climbs past 2 Nm sooner than most buyers expect, and that job moves up to a Sonesse 40. Run the fabric weight, width and drop through our Somfy shade motor sizing guide before ordering.

Speed and noise split the family in two. The wired versions turn at 25 rpm and run at 47 dB. The ULTRA 30 WireFree pair turns at 20 rpm and runs at 42 dB, the quietest Sonesse 30 option for a bedroom. The PoE motor trades half a newton-meter of torque for a single-cable install, so keep it on lighter fabric.

Replacing an older Sonesse 30 WireFree

Somfy lists the Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree RTS (1003310) as the replacement for the Sonesse 30 WireFree RTS Li-ion (1003128). Torque, speed, tube floor and the RTS receiver carry over at 2 Nm, 20 rpm and 1.13 in, and the ULTRA runs quieter at 42 dB. Somfy publishes the ULTRA at 25.69 in long, about 2 in longer than the 23.7 in 1003128, so measure the tube and the space past the idler end before the swap.

The ULTRA charges through the Somfy Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree Plug-in Charger (9025166), which plugs into a wall outlet while the shade stays on its brackets. Pair the new motor to the existing RTS remote using Somfy's standard RTS procedure in the motor's install guide, found in our Somfy spec library.

Ordering checklist for a Sonesse 30 job

A working Sonesse 30 shade needs four parts in the same order:

1. The motor version that matches the power at the window and the control on the job.
2. A 30 mm crown and drive set matched to the tube profile.
3. Brackets or a motor plate that fit the round head and the shade maker's hardware.
4. Power and control: a 24V supply or enclosure, PoE gateway, charger, remote or wall switch.

Browse the full range of Somfy Sonesse 30 motors to compare current pricing. For help matching a part number from an existing motor label, call our team at 859-414-6872.

FAQ

Which Sonesse 30 motor runs on a battery?

Two versions carry an embedded 12V Li-ion battery: the Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree RTS (1003310) and the Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree Zigbee (1241752). Both give 2 Nm at 20 rpm and run at 42 dB. Pick the RTS model for Somfy RTS remotes and wall switches, and the Zigbee model for a Zigbee-capable TaHoma Switch.

What size tube does a Somfy Sonesse 30 fit?

Somfy publishes a minimum tube inside diameter of 1.13 in (28.7 mm) for the wired Sonesse 30 versions and the WireFree RTS, and 1.14 in for the WireFree Zigbee. Above that floor, match a 30 mm crown and drive to the tube profile, such as kit 9020674 for a 1.5 in RollEase tube. A 1 in tube is too small.

Can an RTS remote control a Sonesse 30 Zigbee motor?

No. The Sonesse 30 Zigbee 24V DC (1241970) and the ULTRA 30 WireFree Zigbee (1241752) carry Zigbee 3.0 receivers at 2.450 GHz and answer Zigbee commands only. Pair them through a Zigbee-capable TaHoma Switch. For Situo, Telis or DecoFlex RTS controls, order the Sonesse 30 RTS 24V DC (1241142) or the ULTRA 30 WireFree RTS (1003310).

Does the Sonesse 30 need a power supply?

The four 24V DC versions do. One shade runs from Somfy's 24V DC 1.67 A plug-in transformer (1822209), and larger jobs use a Somfy power distribution enclosure for 5 to 20 motors. The PoE version takes power from a PoE network through Somfy's SDN PoE Gateway (1860326). The WireFree versions run on their embedded batteries and recharge with charger 9025166.

Sources: Somfy Systems product page for Sonesse 30 RTS 24V DC (1241142) and its accessory list; Somfy Pro e-catalog entries for references 1241142, 1241970, 1241146, 1241144, 1241147, 1003310, 1241752 and 1003128, somfypro.com.

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