Adding lighting to your
yard, garden, or other landscape area is an excellent way to dress it up and make it shine at
night!
Although there are several different types of landscape lights, LED landscape lighting is an
obvious choice for many people. Before you select your LED lights however, there are a number of things to
consider that will help to make a difference in the overall project.
Energy Efficient
LED is an abbreviation for Light Emitting
Diode. LED lights are very energy efficient when compared to most other forms of lighting. For
instance, LED lamps consume only about 10% of the energy of halogen bulbs, which reduces electric power consumption
dramatically - up to 90% in some cases!
Solar powered LED light fixtures are
the most energy efficient of all, because all electrical energy is derived directly from the sun, which is
100% free.
Cost Effective
In addition to being energy efficient, LED lights are cost-effective because of their long
bulb life of 40,000 to 100,000 hours or more. You may not need to replace the bulbs for many years, if ever, which
will save you money over time.
Environmentally Friendly
If you're concerned about the environment, you'll be happy to know that LED lights are also
environmentally friendly. LED's do not contain mercury or other hazardous materials that are present in some other
types of bulbs such as CFL's. Because of this, LED's provide a great way to illuminate your landscaping in an
ecologically responsible way. Go green with LED lights!
Easy to Install
LED lights are easy to install, and can be used in many outdoor lighting arrangements, such
as ambient lighting, backlighting, floodlighting and path lighting, among others. Their energy efficiency and
competive pricing makes LED lights an attractive alternative to traditional lights, and reduces the cost of
installation and operation of the outdoor lighting system.
Solar or Wired?
One of the first things that you need to choose is the type of LED light you will use. Since
all LED landscape lighting is low-voltage, your two main choices
are solar powered lights or 12v low-voltage wired lights. If you
plan to use solar LED lights, the installation will be easy. Place the light fixtures where you want them to be,
and allow them to work independently of each other without any wiring or
transformers.
On the other hand, using wired low voltage LED landscape lamps will take a little bit more
thought on your part. This is because you will need to run a length of wire from the transformer to the lights, and
bury it underground a few inches. This is something that can be done by any homeowner, and it does not require an
electrician to get install and set it up properly. It's a good idea however, that you call to check for any
underground utilities if you plan on digging more than a few inches in the soil.
Map it Out
Before you go out to purchase your lights, transformers, wire, and any
accessories, take some time to draw a diagram or map of the entire area you wish to light. Put an "x" on your
drawing to indicate where each light fixture will be placed. By mapping it out beforehand, you will know exactly
how many lights you need to buy and where they will go. Of course, if you're using solar powered LED landscape
lights, you can simply move them around as you are installing them in order to enhance the overall look.
Are the Lights Bright Enough?
Finally, you want to make sure that any LED landscape lighting products you choose will
provide an ample amount of light. Wiring with only one or two diodes is going to be perfect to throw off a soft
glow, but you may want to try something that is a little bit brighter if you're going to want to light a pathway.
Make sure that you look into these options in advance, it will make a difference in the overall project.
Browse our huge selection of LED Landscape Lights for your landscaping, offered
by our trusted retail partner, Amazon.com
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