Lutron and backup power
Lutron during a power outage: what keeps working, and what to back up.
Plan the lighting system and the generator or battery together, so the scenes, keypads and shades keep working.
CA Lic. #949580 Office in Newbury Park Mon to Fri, 9 to 5
When Edison turns the power off in the wind or a heat wave overloads the grid, a Lutron house goes dark like any other, unless the lighting system and the backup power were planned together. County Line Electric installs both Lutron systems and Generac standby generators, so it plans which circuits, which processor and which network gear stay on.
What happens when the power goes off
The system stops with the power, and returns where it was.
Lutron lighting control runs on house power like everything else. When the utility drops the house, the dimmers, keypads and processor lose power and the lights go out. What matters is what happens next, and Lutron's own specifications answer it.
Lutron's RadioRA 3 processor specification says that should power be interrupted, the processor will return to its previous state when power is restored, and its timeclock is retained by an internal battery. Lutron's Sunnata RF control specification says the same of the dimmers and switches: they return to their previous state when power is restored. Lutron's HomeWorks QSX processor specification states system data is stored in non-volatile memory, with timeclock retention for 10 years. In plain terms, the programming is not lost in an outage, and the schedules know what time it is when the power returns.
So the question for a house with backup power is not whether Lutron survives the outage. It is which parts of the lighting system the generator or battery should keep running, and that is an electrical design question.
What to put on backup power
The Lutron loads County Line puts on the backed-up panel.
A generator or battery rarely carries every circuit in a large house. These are the pieces that keep a Lutron house usable:
- The processor, and the PoE switch or injector that powers it. A RadioRA 3 processor takes its data and its power over one Ethernet cable, so if the network switch is not backed up, neither is the processor
- The router and network gear the processor connects to, which also keeps the internet up for the rest of the house
- The lighting circuits for the kitchen, the main living area, the primary suite and the path between them
- Exterior and pathway lighting circuits, for getting to the generator, the gate and the driveway at night
- Power to any wired shades on windows that matter for heat or privacy
- On HomeWorks, the dimming panels that feed those circuits, so backed-up lighting is controlled rather than full on
Shades, keypads and remotes
What runs on batteries already.
Battery shades
Lutron Triathlon shades are battery powered, and Palladiom wire-free shades run on D-cell batteries Lutron says last three to five years. Their motors do not depend on house power.
Pico remotes
Lutron Pico remotes are wire-free and battery powered. Like a battery shade, they still need a powered system on the other end to act on.
Keypads and dimmers
Wall keypads and dimmers are powered from the house wiring, so they work on whichever circuits the backup source carries.
Image courtesy of Lutron. County Line Electric is a Lutron dealer.
How the switch-over plays out
From the outage to the lights coming back.
- 01
The grid drops
Every Lutron device loses power with the house. The programming stays in memory.
- 02
The backup source picks up
A standby generator starts and its automatic transfer switch moves the backed-up circuits to the generator. A battery system takes over the circuits it was designed to carry.
- 03
Lutron returns to where it was
Per Lutron's specifications, the processor and the dimmers return to their previous state when power is restored, on the circuits that now have power.
- 04
Scenes and schedules run
With the processor and the network switch on backup power, the keypads, the schedules and the app inside the house keep working. Lutron says local operation continues without the internet.
- 05
The grid returns
The transfer switch moves the house back to utility power. Devices on circuits that were dark come back to their previous state.
Generator, battery or both
The lighting plan is part of the residential microgrid.
A residential microgrid is a home whose generator, battery, solar, EV charger and electrical panel are designed as one system. The Lutron system belongs in that design: the processor and network on the protected side, lighting circuits chosen on purpose, and a load list that the generator or battery can actually carry.
Modern LED lighting is a small load next to air conditioning, a well pump or a refrigerator, which is why the right lighting circuits are usually easy to include. The standby generator page covers sizing and installation, and the Power Outage Board shows how often the power goes out in each town County Line serves.
What drives the cost
What the backup side of a Lutron project depends on.
The backup side of a Lutron project depends on the backup source, the circuits moved onto it and the permits for that work.
- Whether the house already has a generator or battery, and how its backed-up panel is laid out
- Moving lighting circuits, the processor feed and network gear onto that panel
- The size of the generator or battery for the full list of backed-up loads, not the lights alone
- Wired or battery shades, and which windows need to move during an outage
- Permits and inspection for the panel and transfer switch work
County Line Electric at a glance
- 20+ yrsIn businessJeff Tucker has run County Line Electric in the Conejo Valley for over 20 years.
- #949580California contractor licenseLicensed, bonded and insured. Check it on the CSLB site any time.
- Site reviewSystem planningWiring, rooms and compatible controls reviewed for the project.
- A+BBB Accredited since 2017Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. See the profile.
- 5.0HomeAdvisor ratingFive stars from every reviewed job. Read the reviews.
Lutron and outage questions
Does a Lutron system lose its programming in a power outage?
Lutron's specifications say no. The RadioRA 3 processor returns to its previous state when power is restored and keeps its timeclock on an internal battery. The HomeWorks QSX processor stores system data in non-volatile memory with timeclock retention for 10 years.
Will my Lutron lights work on a generator?
Yes, on the circuits the generator carries. County Line puts the processor, its PoE network switch, the router and the chosen lighting circuits on the backed-up panel so the keypads, scenes and schedules keep working.
Do Lutron shades work when the power is out?
Battery-powered shades such as Triathlon and Palladiom wire-free have motors that do not depend on house power. To respond to keypads and schedules they also need the Lutron processor and network to be powered, so those go on backup power too.
Does Lutron need the internet during an outage?
Not inside the house. Lutron's RadioRA 3 processor specification says local device operation continues if the internet connection is lost. Control from away needs the internet.
Who plans the lighting and the generator together?
County Line Electric installs Lutron systems as a Lutron dealer and installs Generac standby generators as a licensed electrical contractor (CSLB #949580), so one company plans which circuits, processor and network gear are backed up.
The Lutron library
Every Lutron system page.
Official references
Where the facts on this page come from.
County Line links to the authorities rather than restating them. Rules change; these pages are current.
- Lutron RadioRA 3 processor specification: power failure memory, PoE, local operation
- Lutron Sunnata RF controls specification: power failure memory
- Lutron HomeWorks QSX processor specification: non-volatile memory
- Lutron Triathlon shades: battery power
- SCE Public Safety Power Shutoffs: why the power goes off
- CSLB license check: license #949580
Next step
Tell us what has to stay on.
Whether there is a generator or battery today, which rooms matter during an outage, and which Lutron system is in the house. The office sets up a visit.
Or call (805) 499-0823. Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.