Shade Motors SchoolEducation is the way to a great install.

One concept per screen. Module by module. Then the quiz.

1. Pick a course

   Each course covers one job: pair a remote, set limits, size a motor, configure a track.

2. Learn one idea at a time

   Every screen holds one concept with a photo or diagram. You move forward in order, with a scenario check after each module.

3. Pass and get certified

   Score 80% on the 10-question quiz for a printable certificate and 10% off your first ShadeMotorsDirect order.

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• 101

  Fix It

  How to Add a Solar Panel to a Somfy WireFree Motor

  5 modules · 10 min · Free certificate

  A Somfy solar panel on the window glass keeps a WireFree motor or battery pack topped up. Learn the two solar families, which m...

• 201

  Drapery

  Glydea or Irismo: Pick the Right Somfy Drapery Motor

  4 modules · 12 min · Free certificate

  Somfy builds mains-powered Glydea ULTRA motors and the battery Irismo 45 for motorized drapery. Learn the one question that dec...

• 101

  Program It

  How to Group Somfy Shades on One Remote Channel

  4 modules · 11 min · Free certificate

  One channel on a Somfy RTS remote can run a whole room of shades. Learn the three layouts Somfy shows, how to pick a channel, t...

• 201

  Pick the Motor

  How to Match a Somfy Crown and Drive to Your Tube

  5 modules · 13 min · Free certificate

  A correctly sized Somfy motor still fails to install when the crown and drive do not match the tube. Learn what each part does,...

• 201

  Drapery

  How to Measure and Order a Somfy Motorized Drapery Track

  5 modules · 14 min · Free certificate

  Somfy builds each motorized drapery track to the width you order, so the measurement and the motor choice have to be right the ...

• 101

  Program It

  How to Pair a New Somfy RTS Remote to Your Motor

  5 modules · 12 min · Free certificate

  Add a second remote, or replace a broken one, in about two minutes using the remote you already have. Covers single and multi-c...

• 101

  Program It

  How to Program a Somfy DecoFlex RTS Wall Switch

  4 modules · 10 min · Free certificate

  A DecoFlex WireFree RTS switch puts shade control on the wall with no wiring. Learn the models, how the channel buttons and lig...

• 201

  Drapery

  How to Program a Somfy Glydea ULTRA RTS Drapery Motor

  5 modules · 13 min · Free certificate

  A Glydea ULTRA RTS learns its limits by itself, so programming takes a few presses. Learn the prep, the pairing and direction c...

• 201

  Pick the Motor

  How to Read a Somfy Motor Model Code: 506S2, 525A2, 550R2

  5 modules · 14 min · Free certificate

  A Somfy model code such as 525A2 tells you the motor platform, its torque and its speed band at a glance. Learn to read one, th...

• 101

  Fix It

  How to Recharge a Somfy WireFree Motor and Pick the Right Charger

  5 modules · 12 min · Free certificate

  Somfy WireFree motors recharge in place, but each one belongs to a charging family and a charger from the wrong family will not...

• 201

  Fix It

  How to Replace a Failed Somfy Shade Motor and Keep the Shade

  4 modules · 13 min · Free certificate

  A failed Somfy motor can be swapped inside the same shade when the new one matches on four points. Learn to read the old motor,...

• 201

  Program It

  How to Reverse the Direction of a Somfy RTS Motor

  5 modules · 12 min · Free certificate

  When UP lowers the shade, the motor direction is reversed, and Somfy fixes it with the MY button. Learn the fix during setup, t...

• 201

  Pick the Motor

  Roll Up 28 or Sonesse 28: Small Somfy Motors for Small Tubes

  4 modules · 12 min · Free certificate

  The Somfy Roll Up 28 and Sonesse 28 WireFree share a size class and much of a spec sheet. Learn what they share, where they dif...

• 201

  Program It

  How to Set and Reset the Limits on a Somfy RTS Motor

  5 modules · 15 min · Free certificate

  Set the top and bottom stop points on an electronic-limit Somfy RTS motor with nothing but the remote. Includes the direction c...

• 101

  Program It

  How to Set Up a Somfy TaHoma Switch for Your Shades

  4 modules · 10 min · Free certificate

  TaHoma switch puts RTS and Zigbee shades on one app with scenes, schedules and voice control. Learn what it runs, what to prepa...

• 201

  Pick the Motor

  How to Size a Somfy Roller Shade Motor by Torque

  5 modules · 15 min · Free certificate

  Match a Somfy motor to a roller shade by load and tube size. Learn why torque matters, how to read the torque in a Somfy model ...

• 201

  Pick the Motor

  Somfy CMO Motors: The Manual Override for Awnings and Shutters

  4 modules · 11 min · Free certificate

  A Somfy CMO motor adds a compact manual override, so a crank still moves an awning or rolling shutter when the power is out. Le...

• 301

  Pick the Motor

  LT50 or LT60: When a Somfy Shade Outgrows 50 Nm

  5 modules · 14 min · Free certificate

  LT50 and LT60 are two Somfy motor platforms with different tube minimums and no torque overlap in the Altus RTS range. Learn wh...

• 201

  Pick the Motor

  Star, Round, Square or CMO: Match the Bracket to the Somfy Motor Head

  5 modules · 12 min · Free certificate

  A Somfy motor bracket has to match the motor head, and the head is not in the model code. Learn the four head types, where Somf...

• 101

  Fix It

  Somfy Motor Not Responding? Five Checks Before You Reset

  5 modules · 12 min · Free certificate

  A reset erases your remotes and limits, so it belongs at the end. Work through five checks in order, from the remote battery to...

• 201

  Fix It

  Why a Somfy Motor Stops After a Few Minutes: Thermal Protection

  4 modules · 10 min · Free certificate

  A Somfy motor that stops after running for a while and then works again later is usually resting on thermal protection. Learn w...

• 301

  Wired and Networked

  Somfy PoE Motors: Power and Data on One Ethernet Cable

  4 modules · 13 min · Free certificate

  Somfy PoE motors take power and control on a single Ethernet cable and talk to control systems through the Synergy API. Learn t...

• 101

  Fix It

  RTS or Zigbee: Which Somfy Remote Works With Your Motor

  5 modules · 12 min · Free certificate

  Somfy motors listen on one of two radios, RTS or Zigbee, and a remote only runs a motor on its own radio. Learn to tell which o...

• 301

  Wired and Networked

  SDN and RS485 Basics: How Somfy Digital Network Motors Connect

  5 modules · 15 min · Free certificate

  Somfy Digital Network motors talk two ways over RS-485, so a control system can command them and read their position. Learn wha...

• 201

  Pick the Motor

  WireFree or Wired: Choose the Power Before the Somfy Motor

  5 modules · 12 min · Free certificate

  Battery and wired Somfy motors solve different jobs. Learn where WireFree stops on torque, how speed and noise compare, why bat...

• 301

  Wired and Networked

  How to Wire a Somfy 4-Wire Motor to a Wall Switch

  5 modules · 14 min · Free certificate

  A Somfy 4-wire motor has no radio, so a switch decides which way it turns. Learn the motor, the four conductors, why one switch...