Choosing among the various transparencies of shading fabric is another consideration — often informed by the room and its function. “There are three categories: the first is sheer or transparent, second is translucent or light filtering, and third, opaque or blackout.” The latter is designed for both maximum darkness and maximum privacy — obviously, a perfect bedroom solution.

As JoAnn Arcenal, Crestron’s director of business development, noted on the Crestron blog in a previous post, a homeowner should ask themselves a few questions about the placement of various shading options: “What is the purpose of this? For example, do you want more of a transparent fabric that will allow you to enjoy the view, but you still want some protection from the elements? That’s fabric defined as ‘transparent.’”

In addition to lighting systems, shading can also have a tremendous positive impact on the climate of a home when it’s integrated into an HVAC solution. Looking at shading as yet another tool — along with air conditioning and furnaces — can yield impressive results in the realms of both interior comfort and energy efficiency. Suppose one lives in a dwelling with many windows on the south side of the structure. Shading could be automated to raise on winter days and lower during warmer times, for example.

The results can be dramatic. As Crestron’s JoAnn Arcenal further noted in this article:

When smart shading becomes part of a home’s energy solutions, the results can be downright surprising. “This past year, we debuted two show homes that met net-zero status,” says Arcenal. “Actually, one of them met net-negative 15 status,” meaning that the home was generating more energy than it consumed.

Providing those options is a goal that Crestron has kept top of mind with a recent redesign of the hardware system for the 3 Series Décor shading. As we noted earlier this year:

Part of that update includes a range of modern end caps that mirror the modern aesthetic that Crestron’s customers demand. They’re available in six color options, including Snow White, Almond Cream, Light Gray, Dark Gray, Espresso Brown, and Jet Black. These elegant additions to our shading hardware line transform a project’s windows with a sturdy, safe, and sleek end cap design that elevates any room's aesthetic. The updated hardware includes black brackets and a black motor head to help conceal the inner workings of the shade, reinforcing that upscale look.

Our recent conversation with JoAnn Arcenal offered up a lot of info on the myriad ways to control shading — including automatic functions:

A single button on a touch screen, for example, can “manually” lower or raise the shades as the user wishes or trigger a pre-set level of shading. Other solutions are clock-based. “There are astronomical clocks that are integrated into processors,” Arcenal explains. “That's going to change drastically between December and July, and occur at different times in different parts of the globe — but all that’s adjusted automatically by the system.”

“There's also voice control,” adds Arcenal, noting further that each solution isn’t simply binary: You can command the shades to raise or lower by a certain percentage and not simply “open or closed.” “We can also integrate with either photo or occupancy sensors for even more efficiency,” says Arcenal. “We can balance those levels with a photo sensor to know exactly when and where artificial light has to compensate and complement the natural light. With occupancy sensors, we can shut an entire room down where no movement’s been detected after a certain amount of time.”