Zip screens · Motors and controls
Motors and controls: zip screens from 54% to 98% motorised
This article is based on Ferrini’s 2015–2026 production records; figures are given as shares and indices only.
- In Ferrini’s production the motorised share of zip screens rose from 54% in 2020 to 98% in 2025; on zip screens the motor is now practically standard.
- Roller shutters, for comparison, moved from 46% in 2016 to 78% in 2025, so about three in four are motorised.
- The Matter smart home standard has covered blinds and shutters since its first version [1].
- From 20 January 2027 the EU Machinery Regulation replaces Directive 2006/42/EC, and the safety in use of motorised products is assessed under EN 12045 [2].
The report’s finding that the motor has become the default option rests on more than ten years of Ferrini’s production records. The change was fastest on zip screens: within five years of the product entering regular production, almost every screen leaves the plant with a motor. The shift also changes what dealers and installers sell, set up and service. This article looks at how motorisation developed, how motorised screens are controlled and connected, and which European standards and rules apply to them.
From option to default
Ferrini’s report divides its production data into four periods. On zip screens, the motorised share was 54% in 2020, reached 88% in 2021–2022 and 97% in 2023–2026. Roller shutters, the company’s original product, were motorised more gradually; their largest step came in 2018–2020, when the product range began to diversify.
Remote operation has followed motorisation, and almost all motorised zip screens are fitted with a radio receiver. Motorised products can be operated by wall switch, remote control, timer or sensors. With the motor now standard, the report expects the next difference between products to come from connectivity and automation rather than from the motor itself.
Protocols and smart home connectivity
Tubular motors and the radio protocols that control them form shared infrastructure across the sector, with Somfy and Becker as prominent suppliers [3, 4]. According to its company history, Somfy developed a tubular motor for roller shutters in 1969 [3], and Becker has made motors for roller shutters and blinds since 1971 [4]. Two of the protocols in use, io-homecontrol (developed by Somfy and its partners) and Becker’s B-Tronic, are bidirectional, so the system can report back that a command has reached the product [3, 4].
Matter 1.0 brought blinds and shutters into scope in 2022, making it easier for motorised solar control products to work with smart home systems from different brands [1]. Matter 1.5, released in November 2025, describes blinds, awnings, gates and garage doors in a single closures model [5]. According to Eurostat, in 2024, 70.9% of people aged 16–74 in the EU used an internet-connected device and 14.2% a connected home energy management system [6].
Rules and power supply
In the European standards, the safety in use of power-operated blinds and shutters is covered by EN 12045, and resistance to wind loads by the EN 1932 test method [7]. Because the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 takes over from the Machinery Directive in January 2027 [2], importers and dealers can ask manufacturers how the technical file for motorised screens is being updated.
Power supply is changing too. In France about two-thirds of ready-made roller shutters, and in Germany about one in five, are sold with solar-powered motors [8]. On the zip screen side, one of the screens Ferrini exhibited at Fensterbau Frontale 2026 carried its own solar panel.
Frequently asked questions
Why is motorisation becoming standard?
According to the report, motorised systems combine comfort, accessibility and energy saving. An ageing population turns automation from a convenience into a need: people aged 65 and over made up 21.6% of the EU population in 2024 [9, 10]. The report adds that a system which closes by itself in hot weather brings a direct health benefit to older people and to those who live alone.
What should be checked when choosing motors and controls?
End users increasingly ask about bidirectional communication and smart home compatibility, so it is worth confirming which radio protocol a motor uses and whether it supports Matter or a bidirectional protocol. The report also recommends separate written warranties for the motor, the fabric and the coating. For architects, electrical supply and automation should be planned at the design stage rather than added later.
Sources
- Connectivity Standards Alliance, Matter Arrives (Matter 1.0 press release), 04.10.2022. https://csa-iot.org/newsroom/matter-arrives/
- EU-OSHA, Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery, last updated 16 January 2025, accessed 02.10.2026. https://osha.europa.eu/en/legislation/directive/regulation-20231230eu-machinery
- Somfy Group, History, undated page, accessed 02.10.2026. https://www.somfy-group.com/en-en/group/history
- Becker-Antriebe GmbH, Company, undated page, accessed 02.10.2026. https://www.becker-antriebe.com/en/company/
- Connectivity Standards Alliance, Matter 1.5 Introduces Cameras, Closures, and Enhanced Energy Management Capabilities, 20 November 2025, accessed 02.10.2026. https://csa-iot.org/newsroom/matter-1-5-introduces-cameras-closures-and-enhanced-energy-management-capabilities/
- Eurostat, Internet-connected devices are widely used in the EU, 28.08.2025. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20250828-2
- CEN / Estonian Centre for Standardisation; Swiss Association for Standardization, EN 12045:2000 Power operated blinds and shutters – Safety in use; EN 1932:2013 External blinds and shutters – Resistance to wind loads, catalogue records, accessed 02.10.2026. https://www.evs.ee/en/evs-en-12045-2000
- Baulinks, Solar roller shutter and external solar shading market 2025, 7 July 2026, accessed 02.10.2026. https://www.baulinks.de/webplugin/2026/0966.php4
- Eurostat, Population structure and ageing, 2025 update, accessed 02.10.2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Population_structure_and_ageing
- Eurostat, Population projections in the EU, April 2026, accessed 02.10.2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Population_projections_in_the_EU
