6 problematic everyday situations that smart lighting can solve. How do I set up automation?

You have probably already come across the topic of smart lighting several times before. However, perhaps you don’t know how to use it at home? Or do you already have some smart bulbs, but concepts like scenarios and automation are foreign to you? In that case we have a little inspiration for you. 

Many of us deal almost daily with situations related to lighting that cause us worry and often give us wrinkles. But unnecessarily so. This modern world offers smart devices that can do the work for us. However, in order to do this, the devices first need to be taught - told how to react in given situations.

In practise this means setting up automations. For example, you enter conditions such as: "If this happens, do this." All scenarios are easily and intuitively set up on the TESLA Smart app. 

6 typical problems and their solutions 

Let's first take a look at some common situations where TESLA Smart products can help you. 

1. A room where the lights are always on unnecessarily 

Do you have a place in your home where you forget (or one member of the household forgets) to turn off the lights? It can be a pantry, a storage room or another room. Put a smart bulb in the light fitting and direct a motion sensor towards the door. When the door opens, the sensor detects movement and sends a message to the bulb such as: “Turn the light on." You can also make the command more specific, for example: “Turn the light on at 20 percent brightness and remain on for two minutes." Or set it the other way around - if the sensor doesn't detect motion, the bulb will turn off. 

For the same purpose you can also combine the smart bulb with a door sensor which functions using a magnet. When the sensor detects the door opening (the magnets are disconnected), the bulb turns on. As soon as the door closes (the magnets connect), the bulb goes off. 

2. It's easier to get up when it’s light, but... 

There may be several "buts". It may still be dark outside when you get up, or you may be drawing the curtains or blinds for the night. In this case set the smart bulb or smart lamp on the bedside table to come on at a specific time and day – starting at the minimum brightness and gradually increasing in intensity. 

3. You should go for white during the day and yellow in the evening 

White light helps us keep our attention, so it is better to use it during the day. In the evening, on the other hand, yellow light is a better choice to help create a calm and relaxed atmosphere. For example, in the children's room and in the living room, you can use both options. The smart bulb can help you with this. 

Setting up the different modes is the basic task. One for example for lighting in shades of white, the other for yellow light. But smart lighting can do much more. The intensity and colour of the light can change gradually throughout the day, and also according to sunrise and sunset. 

4. The switch is too far away 

You have a lamp by the sofa in the living room, but the switch is in a hard-to-reach place, perhaps hidden behind the sofa. Or a second typical example: In the bedroom or children's room, the switch for the main light is just by the door. Often you have to get out of a warm bed to turn out the lights. 

How can this situation be easily dealt with? By using a smart switch. Through the app, you connect it to the smart bulb and set the condition: "When I press the switch, the light in the room turns on/off." Even visitors or young children who don't have a mobile phone with access to the app can conveniently control the light. 

5. Automatic lighting when walking through 

Do you have a longer hallway or staircase at home? These are ideal places for a motion sensor in combination with a smart bulb, or LED strip. As soon as you enter the hallway, the sensor detects movement and turns on the light. You can also set other conditions in the app: how long you want the light to stay on, what time of day it should be on, and even that it should be white during the day and yellow in the evening and at night. 

It is the ideal solution in places where children pass through at night to go to the toilet or come into your bedroom. But adults will also find pleasure in this automation. Once you try it, you won't want to illuminate the hallway or stairs any other way. 

6. Assurance that no light is on after you leave 

Have you ever wondered if you've turned off everything at home? Do you want to make sure that no light is left on unnecessarily once you leave the house? Or do you just not want to have to check everything and everyone all the time? Smart lighting solves these situations too. In the app set the following condition: "As soon as I leave the house, turn off all the lights." It really is that simple. 

What is needed? 

There may be many other situations. Perhaps you can now think of another one that makes your life difficult or even downright annoying. Smart lighting can solve everything. 

And what do you need to make TESLA Smart Lighting functional and at the same time practical? The specific choice of products is of course determined by the situation you are dealing with. In general, however, the following products are most commonly used: 

• Smart bulbs, smart LED strips and smart lamps are the basics of smart lighting. 
• Smart switches, smart buttons, motion sensors or door sensors also have their uses. 
• Products which use the ZigBee protocol, also need a central smart unit, namely the Zigbee Hub. 

• And last but not least, a smart phone running iOS or Android, on which you can download and operate the TESLA Smart app. 

How do I set up smart lighting automation? 

Smart lighting offers many automations and scenarios. However, setting them up is easy and intuitive, so we'll show you how to do it with just a few examples. 

Scenarios of the type, when..., so... 

When you launch the app, click on the Smart icon (bottom middle), then the + sign (top right), and then select a situation that you want one of your smart devices to automatically respond to (weather change, change in your location, time, or when another TESLA Smart device changes its status). 

We will now show you step by step how to automate turning on the light when motion is detected.  

1. When you create a scenario in the app select the option When the device changes status > select the motion sensor à PIR status > Motion detection. 

2. Then use the + icon to set how the next device should react > Start device > choose the bulb which should react > set it to turn on and save everything. 

If you want to make the command more specific, you can set other functions besides switching on and off - for example, the brightness or how long the light should stay on after switching on. 

Timetables, light schedules and daily rhythms 

Do you want to set the light colour according to the time of day, wake up with a light slowly increasing in brightness or gradually dim the light while you fall asleep? In this case, click on a specific bulb, LED strip or lamp when you launch the app. 

We'll show you how to set up a light wake-up call. In this case, the bulb will start to turn on slowly from 6 a.m. in the morning before reaching full brightness within half an hour. 

1. After launching the TESLA Smart app, select the bulb you want to set > by selecting the icon with the squares (bottom right) > click on Plan and then + (bottom right). 

2. Select Wake-up > to set the time range during which the bulb should be fully illuminated > select the days when it should wake you up and save everything. 

If you would like to automate the change of light intensity and colour throughout the day, then Tesla Smart lighting offers a Rhythms function. The setting of the lights is thus governed by sunrise and sunset along with your bedtime. Automation can be found in the settings of the light by clicking on Schedule and then on Rhythms.