Lutron shading
Shades that move on their own, wired or on batteries.
Wired or battery, three Lutron shade families, on the same keypads and schedules as the lights.
CA Lic. #949580 Office in Newbury Park Mon to Fri, 9 to 5
Lutron makes three main families of motorized shades, and the choice comes down to whether power can reach the window, how the hardware should look, and which Lutron system runs the house. County Line Electric, a Lutron dealer and licensed electrical contractor, plans the power, installs the shades and puts them on the same keypads and schedules as the lights.
The three families
What each Lutron shade line is for.
Palladiom
Lutron's architectural shade, with brackets and hembars milled from solid aluminum or brass. Wired for new construction, or wire-free on up to six D-cell batteries that Lutron says last three to five years.
Sivoia QS
Roller, roman, tensioned and cable-guided shades, blinds and drapery, in QS wired or Clear Connect wireless versions. Lutron says Sivoia is engineered and tested to move without making a sound.
Triathlon
Battery-powered, wireless roller, roman and cellular shades and wood blinds with motorized tilt. Lutron says no wires need to be pulled, with three to five years from D batteries.
Image courtesy of Lutron. County Line Electric is a Lutron dealer.
Wired or battery
How the families compare.
The three Lutron shade families compare on power, battery life, styles and the Lutron systems that run them.
| Palladiom | Sivoia QS | Triathlon | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | Wired, or wire-free on D-cell batteries | QS wired or Clear Connect wireless | Battery (D batteries), wired power available for hard-to-reach windows |
| Battery life stated by Lutron | Three to five years | Not applicable to wired | Three to five years |
| Styles | Roller shades with light-filtering, privacy and blackout fabrics | Roller, roman, tensioned and cable-guided, blinds, drapery | Roller, roman, cellular, wood blinds |
| Best for | New construction and architectural interiors | New construction, skylights and angled windows, drapery | Existing homes and retrofit |
| Systems Lutron lists | HomeWorks; RadioRA 3 for the shades | HomeWorks, RadioRA 3 | Caséta, RadioRA 3, HomeWorks |
From Lutron's Palladiom, Sivoia and Triathlon pages, read November 2026.
Wired versus battery
The decision is made at the window, not in the catalog.
Wired shades need power at the top of the window, and that is easy at framing and hard after drywall. On new construction County Line runs shade power to every pocket and window head that might get a shade, which is cheap insurance even if some windows get shades later. Lutron positions wired Sivoia for what it calls uncompromising reliability and low maintenance.
Battery shades exist for the finished house. Triathlon and Palladiom wire-free shades go up without pulling a wire, and Lutron states their batteries last three to five years before replacement. Where a window is hard to reach for battery changes, such as a two-story wall of glass, Lutron offers wired power for Triathlon, and County Line can run it.
Most existing homes end up mixed: battery shades on most windows, wired shades where a wall is open for another reason or a window is out of reach.
Shades in a Lutron system
Lutron shades on the same keypads and schedules as the lights.
A motorized shade on its own is a convenience. On a Lutron system it becomes part of the house: a Good Night button lowers the bedroom shades and the lights together, a schedule lowers the west-facing shades in the late afternoon, and a Movie scene brings the media room shades down as the lights dim. County Line programs shades into the same scenes as the lighting, so one keypad press sets the whole room.
Fabric is the other half of the decision. Lutron's Palladiom page lists light-filtering, privacy and blackout fabrics, and the Sivoia line adds sheer, privacy and blackout roller fabrics and Roman shades. A living room often wants a light-filtering fabric that keeps the view, while bedrooms and media rooms want blackout. County Line walks the rooms at the times of day that matter before fabrics are chosen.
Fabrics and rooms
Sheer, privacy, blackout.
Image courtesy of Lutron. County Line Electric is a Lutron dealer.
How a shade project runs
From measuring to moving with the sun.
- 01
Walk the windows
Which windows, how the room is used, heat and glare by orientation, privacy, and how each window is reached.
- 02
Choose family and power
Wired or battery per window, fabric openness, mounting inside or outside the frame, and the system the shades join.
- 03
Power and pockets
On new construction, power and blocking at each head before drywall. On an existing house, wired runs only where they make sense.
- 04
Install and program
Shades mounted and leveled, then put on keypads, scenes and schedules with the lights.
What drives the cost
What a shade proposal depends on.
A Lutron shade proposal depends on the windows, the shade family, the power to each window and the programming.
- The number and size of windows, and how many are motorized
- The family: Palladiom, Sivoia QS or Triathlon, and wired or battery
- Fabric choice, mounting and any pockets or fascia
- Power runs for wired shades, which cost far less at framing than after drywall
- Hard-to-reach windows that need lifts or wired power
- Programming for scenes and schedules with the lighting
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.
Motorized shade questions
Should I choose wired or battery Lutron shades?
Wired where power can reach the window, usually new construction or an open wall. Battery where it cannot, which is most windows in a finished house. Lutron states its Triathlon and Palladiom wire-free batteries last three to five years.
What batteries do Lutron shades use?
Lutron says Triathlon shades are powered by D batteries and that Palladiom wire-free shades use no more than six off-the-shelf D-cell batteries.
Can Lutron shades work with Caséta?
Lutron says Triathlon smart shades bring natural light control to Caséta systems. Sivoia QS and Palladiom are listed with HomeWorks and RadioRA 3.
Are Lutron motorized shades quiet?
Lutron says its Sivoia shades, blinds and drapery are engineered and tested to move and adjust without making a sound.
How much do Lutron motorized shades cost?
It depends on the number and size of windows, the shade family, wired or battery power, fabric and mounting, and programming. County Line gives an itemized proposal after walking the windows.
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 Palladiom shades: wired and wire-free, batteries, hardware
- Lutron Sivoia shades: QS wired and wireless, styles
- Lutron Triathlon shades: battery power, styles, systems
- Lutron residential systems: which system runs which shade
- CSLB license check: license #949580
Next step
Tell us about the windows.
How many, which rooms, new construction or existing, and what bothers you about the light today. The office sets up a visit.
Or call (805) 499-0823. Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.