BREL Nederland BV refines technique and expands

Quieter engines, faster adjustment, more connectivity & lighting

In the sunshade industry, progress often lies in refinement. In making an engine just a bit quieter, for example. In removing a red setting pin. In adding a module that gives dealers freedom in LED lighting. BREL Netherlands deliberately chooses this course. Targeted steps with clear added value for manufacturer, trade, and end user. With a super quiet solar engine, an electronically adjustable standard engine, a clear separation between Matter and Smart Building & a universal LED control, the company shows that technology must primarily be workable. For Sunshade Magazine, we spoke with Timo Burlet and Erik Budding about the innovations that further sharpen the portfolio.

More than 30 dB quieter

Sound is an underestimated theme in our industry. Until you stand under a facade where twenty screens or awnings move simultaneously. Then silence suddenly becomes a sales argument. At BREL, the conversation revolves around the BLE35-13, the solar 35 mm engine introduced at the end of 2025, which has become more than 30 dB quieter. Timo is clear in the formulation: “This engine contributes to a quieter environment. Noise pollution is nowadays seen as environmental burden.” According to Timo, it doesn't stop with this one model: “Even though our engines are already quiet, we wanted to make them even quieter. That this start was made with the BLE35-13 is logical, it is one of the most applied engines at the moment. We ensure that more models follow, on the way to a noiseless sunshade world.” Erik adds: “Noise reduction is increasingly included in sustainability ambitions and living comfort. In that context, silence is not a luxury, but a necessity. BREL therefore chooses to make silence a structural part of product development.”

Sometimes a roller shutter engine cannot be quiet enough. Good night!

Matter for consumers, Smart Building for projects

Technology becomes truly relevant when it perfectly fits the environment in which it is applied. Therefore, BREL consciously chooses a division in protocol strategy. Timo: “For the consumer market, we are now preparing for Matter as a protocol. For the project market, we work with Smart Building, our wirelessly controllable engines with a SIM card on board.” Matter thus becomes the logical standard protocol for the private market. It aligns with the current state of technology and offers modern interoperability within the smart home domain.

For projects, the focus is different. “Large-scale buildings require remote management, scalability, and stability. A SIM-based Smart Building solution fits better there,” explains Erik. By consciously separating consumer and project, BREL creates clarity in positioning and application. Here we see a broader movement emerging: from engine and control supplier to smart system partner.

‘We have said goodbye to the setting pins’

BREL focuses on the Matter protocol for residential applications.

The MPS series: a standard engine that is completely up-to-date

The standard engine is still the silent force in many projects. Reliable, robust, and widely applicable. But the traditional version with setting pins dates from another era.
Timo refers to the familiar image: “Our standard engine is still a best-selling product. Simple, reliable, with the traditional four-wire cable attached. One drawback: this engine always had to be adjusted with setting pins. Those red plastic setting pins caused uncomfortable situations for both manufacturers and installers in practice. The adjustment simply took too much time and hassle.”

The BREL Homebox Matter, HUB-04.

The MPS series from BREL uses a setting box to comfortably, electronically adjust the engine.

With the new MPS series, BREL says goodbye to that principle. “The new MPS series can be electronically adjusted. We have said goodbye to the setting pins,” outlines Timo.
For the adjustment, a special box is needed, a one-time purchase for the professional. Technically, it remains a trusted standard engine with a four-wire cable, which is now much friendlier to work with. Erik is outspoken about this: “I never understood why people still work with setting pins. Despite that, we still sold a lot of them. For BREL, the standard engine is and remains important. Standard engines are still very much alive within our program. Our origin lies there too.” With the MPS series, the standard engine has received a contemporary upgrade. Less error-prone, more efficient in assembly, and ready for the current market.

The trade can freely choose from all types of LED lighting and control them with BREL technology.

‘The modules for LED lighting will be available both on solar and on 230 volts’

LED control: freedom as a starting point

Where engines have been central for years, the focus is increasingly shifting to total solutions. LED lighting is a logical part of that. Erik announces the development in preparation: “We have modules for LED lighting that will be available both on solar and on 230 volts. The solar version is intended for 12-volt LED and the 230-volt version for 24-volt LED.” The operation can be done via a BREL multi-channel transmitter, and the module can also be added to the BREL Home App. This makes lighting an integral part of the BREL ecosystem.

What is striking is the conscious choice not to supply LED strips. “That seems like a limitation, but is actually a strength,” suggests Timo. “Dealers retain full freedom of choice in type and brand of LED. BREL facilitates control and thus access to the system.”
Technically, the module is a feat: the controller is integrated into a tube housing, comparable to the engine itself. “This tube housing is, like the engine, equipped with an adapter and driver. You can easily place it on the bearing side of the top tube. That provides a neat solution without extra components in sight,” explains Erik.

Innovation as company culture

What stands out in the conversation with Timo and Erik is the naturalness and calm with which they speak about further development. BREL is and remains a company with pioneers, where there is strong innovation across the board. That is where the strength of these portfolio updates lies. Not one innovation that makes the difference, but a series of thoughtful steps that together strengthen the ecosystem. Further development is a culture at the Doetinchem company.

Source: Sunshade Magazine