Motorization Guide
BATTERY, WIREDOR SOLAR.
Every motorized shade needs power. How it gets that power decides installation cost, upkeep, and what happens when the lights go out.
The Three Options
HOW THEY COMPARE.
No wiring, no electrician — the motor sits in the shade’s roller and charges by cable every few months. The default for retrofits, rentals and concrete condos, and it keeps running through power outages.
Power runs to each window, so there is never anything to charge. The cleanest long-term setup when walls are open for renovation or the unit is pre-wired — but it stops when the power does.
A battery motor topped up by a small panel behind the shade. In sunny South Florida exposures it can run for long stretches without a cable, as long as the panel sees regular daylight.
Choosing
MATCH THE MOTOR TO THE HOME.
High-rise condo, no pre-wiring: battery or solar. Running new power through concrete is slow and needs association approval. See our condo guide.
New build or major renovation: hardwired, with power roughed in at every window while the walls are open.
Hurricane-season peace of mind: battery or solar keep working in an outage — see the hurricane season guide.
Tall or hard-to-reach windows: hardwired or solar, so nobody needs a ladder to charge anything.
Control
POWER IS ONLY HALF OF IT.
Any of the three can run from a handheld remote, a wall switch, a phone app, a voice assistant or a schedule. Scenes that lower west-facing shades before the afternoon sun are where motorization starts paying for itself in cooling.
For pricing by window and whole home, see how much motorized shades cost.
Common Questions
MOTOR FAQS.
How often do battery motorized shades need charging?
It depends on shade size and how often it runs, but rechargeable motors typically go months between charges. Charging is a cable or wand plugged into the motor — the shade stays installed.
Do hardwired shades need an electrician?
Yes. Power has to reach the top of each window, which is easiest during a renovation or in a pre-wired condo. Retrofitting wiring into finished walls or concrete costs more and takes longer.
Do solar-charged shades work on every window?
They need a window that gets regular daylight on the small panel. North-facing or heavily shaded openings may need a battery motor charged by cable instead.
Can different motor types be controlled together?
Usually, yes — within one motor family, battery, solar and hardwired shades can share remotes, schedules and app or voice control. Mixing brands is where compatibility problems start.
Not sure which fits your windows? We assess power options at every free consultation — see motorized & smart shades or build your project.
Next Step
DESIGN YOUR LIGHT.
Tell us about your space. We'll reach out within 24 hours.