Load Shedding, Batteries and Wiring: Motorised Blinds in Midstream

A large share of the work we do in Midstream ends up motorised, and not because owners want gadgets. The openings are simply too big and too high for chains. Here is how the power, the controls and the outages actually work.

A matter of reach

Double-volume voids, living walls of four and five blinds, stacking doors wide enough that the chain is a walk away: on these, a motor is the difference between blinds you use and blinds you do not. On a single reachable bedroom window it is a comfort upgrade and nothing more, and we will say so. Ask at the measure which openings in your house truly need one.

Battery or wired

A rechargeable battery motor needs no wiring and is charged every few months through a small plug-in charger. It is the default for homes that are already finished. A wired 220V motor is permanent and never needs charging, and suits new builds and big or heavy systems; it needs an electrician and some planning at design stage. Many existing chain blinds can be converted with a retrofit battery motor, and we assess the hardware before advising whether to convert or replace.

When the mains are off

Battery motors run from their own charge and take no notice of an outage. Wired systems need mains power or backup at the distribution board, so if outages worry you, raise it at quote stage and the specification can lean towards battery, or the blind circuit can be put on whatever backup the house already has. Either way, a blind that is down when the power goes simply stays down until it returns.

Handset, app, schedule and sensors

One multi-channel handset runs every blind in the house, singly or in groups. The app does the same from the couch or the office. Schedules open bedroom blinds at sunrise and drop the west wall at 15:00 in summer. Sun sensors lower shading on the hot elevations without a timetable, and wind sensors bring in exterior shading before a Highveld storm gust arrives. Voice and smart-home links are available for households that want them.

Motorised blinds and automation →

Reviewed November 2026 for Midstream.