Exterior Lighting (Soffit)

Goals

• Recessed LED soffit lights above three garage doors and one entry door.
• Smart control via Shelly + Home Assistant; motion-activated at night, timed shutoff.

Layout & Spec

• Fixture: IC-rated, wet/damp-rated recessed LED (thin wafer style works with soffit).
• CCT: 2700–3000K warm or 3500–4000K neutral; pick one standard.
• Output: target ~800–1000 lm per door position; dimmable drivers.
• Spacing: 1–2 fixtures per overhead door (centered or left/right pair); 1 over entry door.
• Beam: 60–90°; avoid glare into street; consider back-shielding.

Controls

• Smart relay: Shelly 1 / Shelly Plus 1 controlling the lighting circuit.
• Motion sensors:
  • Hardwired outdoor PIR (dry contact) wired to Shelly SW input (parallel multiple sensors).
  • Or wireless (Zigbee/Z-Wave/ESPHome) to Home Assistant; keep manual wall switch as override.
• Home Assistant automations:
  • Night-only activation when motion detected.
  • Auto-off after N minutes of no motion.
  • Manual override scenes for tasks/parties.

Electrical & Wiring

• Run neutral to switch box to support smart relay wiring.
• Provide optional low-voltage or signal cable/conduit from soffit sensor locations to switch box if using hardwired PIRs.
• Grouping: one circuit for all soffit lights, or split (e.g., center bay separate) depending on load and control preference.
• Use in-use exterior-rated junctions as needed; maintain drip loops and seal penetrations.

Actions

• Finalize fixture count/placement per door and CCT choice. — order:: Exterior Lighting Order — stage:: 5
• Decide sensor approach: hardwired PIR vs wireless. — order:: Exterior Lighting Order — stage:: 5
• Confirm neutral in switch box and any sensor conduits with electrician. — order:: Exterior Lighting Order — stage:: 5
• Specify Shelly model and create HA automation. — order:: Exterior Lighting Order — stage:: 5

Install & Commission

• Install exterior soffit fixtures and test circuit(s). — order:: Exterior Lighting Order — stage:: 6
• Configure Shelly(s), connect to Home Assistant, and verify automations. — order:: Exterior Lighting Order — stage:: 6

References

• Chat summary: Garage_Soffit_Lighting_Summary

Procurement

• Order: Exterior Lighting Order
• Index: Orders Index